Kelly Anderson Wrote:
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> There are cheaper ways of making electricity
> than burning coal.
vince heying Wrote:
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> The Navajo Nation is deeply involved with the
> Four Corners power plant Their government,
> i.e., the Navajo people, want to reduce the cli-
> mate impact of the plant. Over the years there
> has been much discussion on the effect on the
> regional atmosphere (air) of this coal burning
> plant.
guymonmd Wrote:
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> Many have given an answer to this question and I
> don't disagree with any of them, but another part
> of the reason is many states (including Colorado)
> have passed laws to phase out use of coal fired
> power. This is part of the reason the plant is
> closing as well.
SR_Krause Wrote:
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> The bottom line is that natural gas from the Perm-
> ian basin is incredibly cheap on a BTU delivered
> basis compared to coal in the four corners area.
>
> Combine cheap NG, a 50 year history of contro-
> versy from the environmental standpoint, aging
> generating facilities
. . . And you have a shut-
> tered power plant.
>
> The Navajo Nation may also be looking at explor-
> ing large solar farms, although the sole article I
> saw was highly speculative about that without
> having talked to anyone in charge. The oppor-
> tunity for solar in the area seems pretty reason-
> able.
Right, SR -
Except for the occasional INCREDIBLE summer thundershower during Monsoon Season, the Four Corners area is one of the sunniest in the entire U.S., so the potential for Solar Power should be pretty favorable. Plus, the grid to distribute the energy – currently generated at the coal-fired plant – already exists (although it will probably require some refurbishing and enhancement). The development of solar power there will hopefully provide some much-needed jobs and revenue to the local population. I also seem to remember that the Navajo Nation having some serious concerns with the amount of water used by Peabody's activities at Black Mesa, so the closing of the mine should also help to alleviate most of these problems.
- El Abuelo Histœrico, Greengo y Curmudgeoño de los Locomoturas Viejos y Verdes,
aka Der Grossväterlich DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHabender
