Regulators weigh proposal to close part of New Mexico plant

New Mexico regulators began taking testimony Monday on a plan that calls for shutting down part of an aging coal-fired power plant that provides electricity to more than 2 million people in the Southwest. The plan would curb haze-causing pollution at the San Juan Generating Station, but some environmentalists argue it doesn’t do enough to wean the state’s largest utility off fossil fuels. The hearing before the Public Regulation Commission began Monday with dozens of people braving frigid temperatures to protest. They talked about asthma, cancer and other health concerns throughout the region, which also is home to other coal-fired plants. Inside the packed hearing room, the head of the nation’s largest American Indian reservation told regulators the plan was the best option for meeting environmental mandates while avoiding what he called an unnecessary economic sacrifice, including job losses. Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly ticked off statistics that included the tribe’s high unemployment rate and the percentage of Navajo families who are without electricity and running water. He also cited the number of tribal members who work at the San Juan plant and the coal mine that feeds it. “I have seen the result of economic loss on the Navajo Nation, and I do not wish for Navajo communities or the region to become a further impoverished area because of the environmental rules,” Shelly said. “That leads to ripple effects.” He noted the 2005 closure of the Mojave Generating Station in Nevada. The power plant was the sole buyer of coal from a Navajo mine, which ultimately closed and took 160 jobs with it...more