New Mexico-born and raised, Chase Taylor, Senior Manager of Environmental Compliance and Strategy is tasked with ensuring success for Pattern Energy projects while maintaining environmental stewardship. This is a critical role, especially when you are supporting large-scale energy developments—there are no “typical days.”
Chase’s team ensures that Pattern’s commitments to communities, agencies, and stakeholders are fulfilled, all while managing the complex logistics of building one of the largest energy projects in the country—the ambitious SunZia project.
Chase Taylor (right) and Mark Fletcher, Manager of Environmental Compliance and Strategy (left) fly over a helicopter-only access area, checking best management practices on SunZia sites.
Navigating Environmental Challenges
“My job is to help execute projects while ensuring they meet environmental and sustainability goals,” Chase explains. From overseeing field operations to working directly with Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCDs) and state and federal agencies, every day is filled with balancing technical requirements and land protection considerations. Because of its size, and because it runs through the American Southwest, which is rich in historic resources and unique ecosystems, the SunZia project requires innovative solutions to protect local wildlife and natural and historic resources.
“Pattern developed a comprehensive program to ensure migratory bird paths weren’t interrupted by construction activities,” Chase says, of one of Pattern’s many environmental projects. “Part of this plan has meant shifting construction timelines or rerouting activities to accommodate nature’s rhythms.”
The scale of such efforts is unprecedented, which can lead to challenging conversations with construction crews. “Imagine telling someone they can’t fly a $20,000-an-hour helicopter because a finch has nested nearby,” Chase jokes. “But it’s these small details that add up to the bigger picture of responsible energy development.”
Chase’s job focuses on intricate details, making his department incredibly important. “It’s very much managing risks to resources and maintaining relationships with agencies and the public while making certain that we stand strong on the promises that Pattern makes on environmental stewardship,” he says. “We’re carrying out the commitments that we make, whether that is with lenders or agencies, communities, or any other stakeholders while we’re doing this work.”
Chase Taylor (pictured here with his daughter) and his family hike all around New Mexico regularly. He says its one of his favorite pastimes to share the beauty of our state with his daughter.
Making an Impact
Working with a company like Pattern wasn’t exactly where Chase had pictured himself ending up, but he loves the work he does now. “Interestingly, this industry didn’t really exist 20 years ago when I grew up here and went to college in New Mexico,” says Chase.
Then Pattern started building on New Mexico’s energy legacy, and a whole new career path became available to New Mexicans like Chase. “I chose this work because growing up in New Mexico, I had a very strong connection to the outdoor world, like many New Mexicans. It was instilled in me from an early age by my dad—to do what you could outside and enjoy the things you could outside, but at the same time understand that you have to take care of it. I love the outdoors; I believe time in it is one of the few elements that can actually add time back to the end of our lives. I don’t want to see it desecrated, and I want it to be around for my daughter to enjoy and the people after me.” Being able to center the outdoors in his work, ethically, was part of why Chase left a similar position in another industry to work at Pattern.
Working at Pattern has given Chase the opportunity to make a difference both locally and nationally. SunZia exemplifies how energy projects can benefit communities while contributing to larger goals of sustainability and low-cost, reliable energy.
“We’re helping New Mexico become a major player in the energy revolution,” he says. “SunZia isn’t just about delivering clean energy—it’s about proving that large-scale energy projects can be done right, with environmental integrity and community support.”
Chase Taylor, with his wife, daughter, and dogs, explore a mountain lake. The Taylor family strives to get outdoors at least once a week and loves seeing new sights in the Southwest.
Returning to His Roots
Born and raised in Hobbs, Chase’s connection to the land runs deep. After living in Texas, Colorado, and Wisconsin, he returned to New Mexico with a renewed appreciation for its landscapes and culture.
“New Mexico has this magic that you don’t fully understand until you leave and come back. It’s like being a part of something that most folks don’t even know exists” Chase shares. “I wanted my daughter to grow up appreciating the things I didn’t fully value as a kid—the outdoors, the culture, the community.”
Now living in Rio Rancho, Chase and his family spend much of their free time exploring nature, hiking, and teaching their young daughter about the environment. “We’re always outdoors,” he says. “Whether it’s hiking in the Jemez Mountains or trying to spot wildlife, it is the way to reconnect with the world around us.”
The Future of Energy and New Mexico
Chase believes that projects like SunZia are just the beginning for New Mexico’s role in delivering on the American energy promise. “We have some of the best wind resources in the country,” he says. “Our efforts here show that New Mexico can be a change-maker on a national level.”
For Chase, the challenges are worth it. “We’re breaking new ground in more ways than one—literally and figuratively,” he says. “And while it isn’t always easy, the positive impact we’re making keeps me motivated every day.”