Earlier this month, APS announced that it plans to convert its Cholla coal plant to natural gas by 2029. While APS says it will reduce emissions, the utility expects water use to be about the same.
Natural gas plants are often touted for using less water than their coal counterparts.
A report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that, on average, natural gas water usage was about seven times lower than coal.
But in a recent document submitted to the Arizona Corporation Commission, APS says it intends to use the same processes for steam generation and cooling from the plant’s coal days.
The utility expects the plant to use about 6,600 acre feet, or about 2.2 billion gallons of groundwater a year. In 2020, Cholla consumed almost 3 billion gallons.
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Strong winds struck the West Valley overnight, leaving more than 5,000 people still without power on Monday morning. -
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.
