The coal power plant named Navajo Generating Station located near Page has burned its last coal on Monday. This marks the end of a 45-year run as announced by the Salt River Project.
This plant had been West’s largest coal plant and the closure is going to have an effect on the region.
The mine which was supplying to the plant had closed in the month of August after it sent its final coal shipment to this plant through an electric railroad which stretched between these two locations covering a distance of 78 miles.
Ever since, this plant had burned its coal stockpile down that covered an area as much as much as a superstore from Walmart.
On Monday, the last portion of usable coal was burned down and this power plant which had the capacity of producing 2,250 mw of power if running at full capacity had sent their last electrons through the transmission lines till Las Vegas, Tuscan and Phoenix.
Mike Hummel, the CEO said that closing of this plant was a difficult but important decision on the basis of economics as the prices of natural gas and the alternatives like solar energy being more competitive when it comes to cost.
This plant is going to always be remembered as a workhorse, the employees of which made this among the safest and among the most reliable plants of the nation said Hummel while he made the closure announcement.
After over 40 years of electricity generation for a million users across the west and their employees is among the reason behind the growth of many regions and their thriving.
The decommissioning of this plant is expected to take years