SunZia Wind and Transmission

Legal challenges: Added Motion for Summary Judgement filed against the SunZia transmission line on March 13, 2026.

← Previous revision Revision as of 21:58, 28 March 2026 Line 71: Line 71: On January 30th, 2024, the Tohono O'odham Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the construction, as well as a request for an expedited hearing for their lawsuit previously filed on January 17th.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tohono O'odham Nation et al v. United States Department of Interior et al |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/TohonoOodhamNationetalvUnitedStatesDepartmentofInterioretalDocket/1?doc_id=X1Q6 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=www.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref> A Motion Hearing was held March 13, 2024, in the United States District Court in Tucson, AZ.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tohono O'odham Nation et al v. United States Department of Interior et al |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/TohonoOodhamNationetalvUnitedStatesDepartmentofInterioretalDocket/1?doc_id=X1Q6 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=www.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref> The motion was denied in April.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryan |first=Susan Montoya |date=April 17, 2024 |title=Judge throws out tribes' legal challenge to $10 billion power line running through 'one of the most intact, prehistoric and historical … landscapes in southern Arizona' |url=https://fortune.com/2024/04/17/arizona-10-billion-power-transmission-lines-native-americans-tohono-oodham/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref> On January 30th, 2024, the Tohono O'odham Nation and San Carlos Apache Tribe filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the construction, as well as a request for an expedited hearing for their lawsuit previously filed on January 17th.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tohono O'odham Nation et al v. United States Department of Interior et al |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/TohonoOodhamNationetalvUnitedStatesDepartmentofInterioretalDocket/1?doc_id=X1Q6 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=www.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref> A Motion Hearing was held March 13, 2024, in the United States District Court in Tucson, AZ.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tohono O'odham Nation et al v. United States Department of Interior et al |url=https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/TohonoOodhamNationetalvUnitedStatesDepartmentofInterioretalDocket/1?doc_id=X1Q6 |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=www.bloomberglaw.com}}</ref> The motion was denied in April.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryan |first=Susan Montoya |date=April 17, 2024 |title=Judge throws out tribes' legal challenge to $10 billion power line running through 'one of the most intact, prehistoric and historical … landscapes in southern Arizona' |url=https://fortune.com/2024/04/17/arizona-10-billion-power-transmission-lines-native-americans-tohono-oodham/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Fortune |language=en}}</ref>

The Tohono O'odham Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Archaeology Southwest, and the [[Center for Biological Diversity]] appealed in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court the U.S. District Judge's dismissal of the case against the SunZia transmission line. Oral arguments were heard in Phoenix, AZ on March 26th. On May 27, 2025 the 9th Circuit Court sided with the tribes and nonprofits when they reversed and remanded the lower court's action. <ref>{{Cite web| title=Case No. 24-3659 - Tohono O’odham Nation; San Carlos Apache tribe; Archaeology southwest; Center for biological diversity v. United States department of the interior; Deb Haaland; United States bureau of land management | url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/05/27/24-3659.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530044305/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/05/27/24-3659.pdf | archive-date=2025-05-30}}</ref> The Tohono O'odham Nation, San Carlos Apache Tribe, Archaeology Southwest, and the [[Center for Biological Diversity]] appealed in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals the U.S. District Judge's dismissal of the case against the SunZia transmission line. Oral arguments were heard in Phoenix, AZ on March 26th. On May 27, 2025 the 9th Circuit Court sided with the tribes and nonprofits when they reversed and remanded the lower court's action. <ref>{{Cite web| title=Case No. 24-3659 - Tohono O’odham Nation; San Carlos Apache tribe; Archaeology southwest; Center for biological diversity v. United States department of the interior; Deb Haaland; United States bureau of land management | url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/05/27/24-3659.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250530044305/https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2025/05/27/24-3659.pdf | archive-date=2025-05-30}}</ref>
The four plaintiffs in the lawsuit opposing the SunZia powerline through the San Pedro Valley filed a Motion for Summary Justice in Arizona District Court, Tucson on March 13, 2026. This is after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the earlier District Court decision and remanded the case to the lower court. The tribe and nonprofit plaintiffs request that the judge void the Bureau of Land Management’s authorization of the powerline route.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CM/ECF - azd |url=https://ecf.azd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/HistDocQry.pl?182077959977101-L_1_0-1 |access-date=2026-03-28 |website=ecf.azd.uscourts.gov}}</ref>

'''Arizona Legislature concerns''' '''Arizona Legislature concerns'''