By Ryan Randazzo | The Republic | azcentral.com
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Monday approved a plan to close one of three generators at the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) coal-fired power plant near Page and eventually add new pollution controls to the others to address regional haze.
If the utilities don’t want to close one of the generators, they still must curtail operations by one-third to meet the cap on pollution the EPA is setting for the plant, which can run until 2044 under the plan.
The decision from the EPA is the latest in a five-year saga over the power plant, which along with the mine that supplies it plays a crucial role in the northern Arizona and Navajo Nation economies. It also helps supply water for metro Phoenix and Tucson.
Comment by Rose Law Group Senior Partner Ryan Hurley:
“This appears to be a toughly fought compromise that will allow the continued operation of NGS in the near-to-mid-term. However, Arizona must continue to support cleaner and more renewable sources of energy so we can cost effectively phase-out these older coal fired plants in the future.”
