Tucson Electric Power has announced plans to renovate a portion of Springerville Generating Station from coal to natural gas.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration has pushed for a renewed look at coal power.
The two units owned by Tucson Electric Power generate about 800 megawatts together. TEP says they will be converted from coal to natural gas by 2030.
The utility called for the retirement of the units in its 2023 resource plan due to the rising costs of coal, anticipated mine closures and environmental regulation.
TEP says while the federal government is currently supportive of coal-fired power generation, the long term risks remain.
Salt River Project owns another unit at Springerville station, and a spokesperson says they are looking at options but the company has not announced any similar plans.
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Mayes first filed a lawsuit against the park last year. She said management didn’t tell residents about a faulty electrical system, which led to frequent power outages during dangerous summer heat. -
Tonto National Forest will be closing Canyon Lake later next month so the Bureau of Reclamation and SRP can conduct dam safety inspections and maintenance. -
Coal-fired power generation jumped 13% in the U.S. last year, according to a recent report from the federal Energy Information Administration. That helped push carbon emissions from the power sector up about 4% — the first rise after years of declining emissions. -
Residents were unanimous in their call for a ban on data centers, but city staff say that would likely be prohibited under state law. -
Commissioners voted to repeal the rules in July, stating that they had expired and the utilities had exceeded their target. Mayes contends the 2020 deadline was a target, not an official expiration.
