The owners of the Navajo Generating Station near Page, Arizona, are saying they may close the power plant this year for economic reasons.
The 2250-megawatt facility sits on the Navajo Nation 20 miles from the Grand Canyon and burns coal from the Kayenta Mine. It is one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the country, but it also employs about 500 people, the vast majority Native Americans. The Arizona Republic says the plant faces challenges including competition from cheap natural gas and the need to retrofit or shut down some units to meet federal regulations. But the grassroots environmental group Diné CARE says talk of early closure may be “a scare tactic” to seek financial concessions from Navajo officials. The plant’s lease with the nation expires in 2019. In a release, Diné CARE says, “Navajo officials should not let Navajo communities be stuck holding the financial bag for a coal industry that now sees the handwriting on the wall.”