Salt River Project still gets power from the Dry Lake Wind Power Project, which was the first wind farm built in Arizona.
Russ Wiles
Arizona Republic
Salt River Project last month received permission to expand a power plant in Pinal County, but the deal isn’t sitting well with environmentalists. The Sierra Club has asked the Arizona Corporation Commission to reconsider the matter and hold a new hearing on the case.
After years of controversy, including the commission’s denial of the original expansion request — a move upheld by Maricopa County Superior Court — SRP received the green light after residents of Randolph, a small, historically Black community located near the plant, dropped their opposition.
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The Coolidge Generating Station is located about 60 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix. SRP says the expansion is needed to meet higher electricity demand during peak periods such as now, amid a record-breaking heat wave. Both SRP and utility Arizona Public Service say heavy electricity demand over the past week have shattered records for power use.
Environmentalists decry the prospect of higher emissions there.
