Weekly Edition | March 06, 2012 | March 6, 2012

Sante Fe, NM - The Navajo Nation is well underway with commitments for both wind and solar power production. Navajo President Ben Shelly plans to look for new opportunities to distribute and market that energy throughout the U.S.

Last year Tres Amigas LLC got a $12 million investment from Mitsui & Co. a global trading, IT and industrial infrastructure services company. Now, the largest aboriginal Tribe in the U.S. will play a role in investing into the company as a partner for a national outreach.

Mr. Shelly mustered with Tres Amigas CEO Phillip Harris and former New Mexico Governor Toney Anaya to discuss a proposed $1.5 billion energy interconnection, accommodating the Navajo tribe energy future.

“Our future in Tres Amigas is to establish a connection to be a major energy partner and to bring a permanent stream of revenue to the nation,” said President Shelly at the meeting.

The meeting was about Tres Amigas electricity Super Station synchronizing three electrical power grids in a transmission super station that will be built in Clovis, NM. It will be built in four phases, with the first phase connecting the western and eastern interconnection easing up to 750 megawatts of power.  As all four phrases are constructed the Super Station will handle 30 gigawatts of power transfer capacity.

(L-R) Former NM Governor Toney Anaya, Navajo President Ben Shelly, and Tres Amigas LLC CEO Phillip Harris

“With the Tres Amigas interconnect we can sell our energy across the United States,” said President Shelly.  “We are building our energy program on every level with our resources and renewable energy.”

This Energy disbursement optimizes the activity power for energy efficiency, which will result in more revenue for Tres Amigas and its shareholders like the Navajo Tribe.  The four phase construction is replete with building the smart grid which transmits both power and data.

Congressman Ben Lujan, D-N.M., on Saturday gave his adjure for the project. “Tres Amigas is an important project for the convergence and transmission of power of open marks to the states,” he said.  “It’s good for New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the United States.”

Last Wednesday, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez through her support by signing a bill to give a tax credits to maintain the $1.5 billion Tres Amigas headquarter location is in New Mexico. This legislation saved Tres Amigas from being sent to Amarillo, Texas.

“We thought about what would best represent the three power grids coming together,” Harris said.  “We came up with the three female friends to signify New Mexico’s heritage.”  In Spanish, Tres Amigas means three female friends.

Groundbreaking is set for July 2012 where President Shelly will speak.