By Reagan Priest | Arizona Capitol Times
An Arizona electric cooperative will receive federal funding to modernize a coal-fired turbine at the Apache Generating Station in Cochise County, President Donald Trump announced Thursday.
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) will receive over $20.8 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding and an additional $32.5 million in non-DOE money to upgrade its coal-powered steam generating unit at the Apache Generating Station. The funding is part of a broader Trump administration effort to revitalize the American coal industry, including federal dollars for the construction of two new coal power plants in Alaska and West Virginia.
AEPCO previously committed to ending coal generation at Apache by 2027 in favor of natural gas. In addition to the coal-powered steam unit, known as ST3, Apache also has a natural gas-powered steam unit and four gas turbines, all of which generate electricity for parts of southern and northwestern Arizona.
