Arizona utilities have come to an agreement on the future of the operations at the Navajo Generating Station. Their recent decision will result in the closing of the coal plant which has been a key energy source for the Central Arizona Project.
The Central Arizona Project, which makes use of power to transport water to the desert areas of Arizona, will be turning away from coal plants, like the Navajo Generating Station, and looking towards a future of new energy solutions.
The move away from coal has not been a simple, one-sided argument. There has been a great deal of debate between coal supporters and environmental advocates. Supporters for the use of coal and the operation of the Navajo Generating Station want the decision to stop station operation to be overturned. They feel that the closure of the power plant will put reliability at risk, which is not an option for the Central Arizona Project, providing water for many Arizona residents. Environmental advocates make up the opposition. In their opinion, the closure of the power plant will clear the way for renewable energy options to take hold and power the project.
Official decisions have not yet been made about how the Central Arizona Project will be powered in the absence of this large coal plant, but there are a few known options on the table. At the moment, natural gas is in the spotlight as a potential source of power for this water canal.
Both Arizona and California are home to several natural gas plants that, at the moment, are not being used to their full potential. Arizona’s natural gas plant’s face their highest utilization during the desert region’s hot summer months to power the air-conditioners of many residents. Outside of these scorching summer months, the plants are readily available to provide power for other endeavors, putting Arizona gas plants in the spotlight as the potential power solution. California’s plants are also readily accessible to power the Central Arizona Project. The plants are not used to their full potential and have even been described as under-utilized. Either of the natural gas plants in these two states are being considered as viable power solutions to facilitate the operations of this giant, much needed canal.
Natural gas power plants are not the only option on the minds of Arizona utilities and regulators. Solar power is a second viable power source that could potentially be selected in place of the Navajo Generating Station. The use of solar solutions to generate power in Arizona has resulted in negative prices for customers on many occasions. Regulators are considering the use of solar during these times to generate power for the canal project. While this could be a win for regulators and environmental advocates, some are skeptical about the long term reliability of solar energy in water transportation, essential for the arid region.
As debates over what energy source to select heat up, the utilities that own the Navajo Generating Station stand by their decision to close the power plant by 2019. With two years to decide how to move forward and what energy solution to rely on, the utilities are confident that closing the station is the right move to make.
