Four utilities led by plant operator Salt River Project have decided to shutter the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station (NGS) near Page, Ariz., by 2019. The 2,250 MW plant is the largest coal generator in the western United States.
Competition from inexpensive natural gas generators means electricity from NGS is already more expensive than wholesale power prices, the utilities said in a release, a trend that's not expected to reverse in coming years. The decision is the second major coal shuttering announcement in less than a month.
The deal announced this week allows the Navajo Nation or others to continue operating the plant beyond 2019, though the current group of owners will not be involved.
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