GUEST LEAD POST: ARIZONA’S NEW ENERGY FUTURE

Arizona's Future is Solar, Not Coal

Nancy LaPlaca, April 15, 2013 (NewEnergyNews)

When two of Arizona’s neighbors, California and Nevada, decide to swap out coal-generated electricity in favor of renewable and natural gas, the writing is on the wall: the days of Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and other coal–fired power plants are numbered.

The news that Nevada’s largest utility, NV Energy, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) are divesting themselves of the Navajo coal plant hit Arizona’s utilities hard. Why? Because it means that Salt River Project (SRP) or some other utility will have to purchase LADWP’s 21% and NV’s 11.3% share in the plant.

That means nearly one third of Navajo power plant’s ownership is now up for grabs.

If SRP buys both Los Angeles’ and NV Energy’s share in the Navajo plant, its share would rise to a 53% of the 40 year old coal burner, and have to pay for another 30 years of fuel and maintenance costs.

This asks a bigger question: why are utilities in California, Nevada, Iowa and Colorado bailing on coal while SRP is adding more? These are fair questions and Arizonans deserve an honest answer.

The Navajo power plant has been emitting enormous amounts of pollution for nearly 40 years. Pollution upgrades will cost $600 million to $1 billion.

This is like putting a $20,000 upgrade on a $4,000 vehicle that gets 8 miles per gallon and gives us clouds of choking exhaust.

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Wouldn’t AZ be better off investing in new, clean technology like solar rather pouring oil into a smoky old clunker?

SRP spends at least $500 million/year buying coal and natural gas for power plants, mostly from out of state. Rate increases for coal upgrades are far higher than rate increases for clean energy. The direct and indirect fuel and health costs of coal will increase for decades, while the price of solar and wind “fuel” is forever free.

Moving to clean energy is an enormous economic opportunity, and will use our best asset, give us pride of place, good-paying jobs and put Arizona in front of a booming $100-billion-year worldwide market. The solar market in theU.S. last year was worth over $11 billion.

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It seems that everyone in the country realizes that solar is our future – except Arizona.

Look up! Solar powers Arizona’s bright future, not coal.

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