The impending closure of the Navajo Generating Station in Navajo Country in northern Arizona could be devastating for the region. More than 600 jobs are on the line — as well as millions in losses to the Navajo and Hopi tribes.
But the coal plant and the mine that supports it are not making the money they used to. The plant is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the county, and solar energy and natural gas are cheaper, cleaner energy producers today.
Now, a new report lays out a transition plan to keep all of those jobs and replace that lost revenue. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a nonprofit organization of energy and finance experts who work on finding alternatives to fossil fuels, has tackled this issue in other parts of the country, so they thought they decided to take a look at what can be done here.
I spoke with Tom Sanzillo, the lead author of this report, more about this.
