With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA cuts coal use by 25 percent by selling share in Navajo Generating Station
Navajo Generating Station is a coal-fired power plant consuming up to 25,000 tons of coal per day that serves the LADWP, among others. The utility just sold its share in the plant.
(
Squeaks2569/Flickr
)
Los Angeles is one step closer to getting rid of coal. On July 1, the LA Department of Water and Power stopped buying electricity from the Navajo Generating Station – a huge coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The sale means the DWP has cut its dependence on coal power by a quarter.
DWP had announced it was going to sell its 21 percent share in the plant last May. The sale put the city on track toward meeting former mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s goal of being coal-free by 2025.
It also means one of the coal-burning units at Navajo Generating Station (NGS) will eventually close, reports the Arizona Republic. The power plant was under pressure already to scale back power generation to comply with Environmental Protection Agency rules designed to clean up the air around national parks and wilderness areas. NGS is among the most polluting power plants in the country, and contributes to haze in nearby Grand Canyon National Park.
Scaling back on electricity generation at NGS means the power plant will require less coal from the nearby Kayenta Mine, its sole source of fuel. That could mean layoffs at the mine, which is located on the Navajo Nation and employs more than 400 people, more than 90 percent Native American, in an area with persistently high unemployment and poverty.
Sponsored message
DWP plans to replace the 477 megawatts of coal power – enough for over 300,000 homes – with renewables and natural gas, and by reducing overall demand.
With DWP’s exit from Navajo Generation Station, there is only one coal-fired power plant left in LA’s energy portfolio: the Intermountain Power Plant in Utah. DWP officials say they are working on replacing that coal power with renewable energy, too.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
