A cherished landscape gained a measure of new protection this month when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order creating a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park that precludes future oil and gas leasing. The decision culminates a yearslong campaign initiated by Puebloan tribes, local Navajo communities, archaeologists, and conservation advocates. Chaco Canyon was the hub of a thriving Puebloan culture 1,000 years ago. New roads, well pads, pipelines, and powerlines associated with expanding oil and gas development are encroaching on Chacoan cultural sites an ..read more

Whitewater boating season offers a metaphor for our local energy supply. We’re in the calm pool edging closer and closer to the lip of the rapid, before plunging into frothy waves below. That’s the position La Plata Electric Association finds itself in, for years waiting to learn the cost to terminate its onerous electric supply contract with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. But this summer, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to finally decide the formula for calculating the payment to exit the contract. LPEA is the rural electric cooperative supplying elect ..read more

The Four Corners region is on the cusp of a rapid transformation from coal to renewable energy. The massive coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington is slated for demolition later this spring, accompanied by the simultaneous construction of large utility-scale solar photovoltaic plants. The metamorphosis from 19th-century to 21st-century technology is breathtaking to behold. The San Juan Generating Station was constructed 50 years ago, back in 1973, and generated 1,848-MW of electricity fueled by burning coal from the nearby San Juan coal mine. Half the power plant was closed in ..read more

On December 20, 2022, the City of Farmington announced that they withdrew from the carbon capture/sequestration (CCS) project at San Juan Generating Station (SJGS) following unsuccessful legal challenges to keep SJGS in operation. This was followed the next day (December 21, 2022) by Enchant Energy (Enchant) issuing a press release abandoning the CCS project at SJGS but claiming that they have several CCS projects in the works in the region that are confidential.  SJGS and San Juan Mine are now permanently closed and will be decommissioned/demolished/remediated in early 2023. Since t ..read more

The Four Corners took a significant step toward a coal-free future as Unit 1 of the San Juan Generating Station closed forever on June 30. The event occurred without fanfare, and represents the inexorable decline of mining and burning coal for electricity. The plant’s closure offered a stark juxtaposition with the Supreme Court’s dire ruling that stripped the federal Environmental Protection Agency of regulatory authority over power plant pollutants causing climate change. While coal-dominated states such as West Virginia found a receptive audience in a handful of Supreme Court justices, the l ..read more

The choice between continued coal power or equitable transition at San Juan Generating Station There is nothing enchanting about Enchant Energy’s proposal to continue burning dirty coal and emitting pollutants in the Four Corners long into the future. Enchant proposes to keep burning coal until it makes progress, if ever, on its speculative plan to retrofit a carbon capture and storage facility onto San Juan Generating Station and maybe eventually reduce some of the carbon emissions. Our goal at San Juan Citizens Alliance is to aid a just and equitable transition away from coal and towards re ..read more

Remote Testimony for the 2021 New Mexico Legislative Session Because of the pandemic, things are looking a little different this year at the New Mexico State Legislature. The entire 2021 New Mexico Legislative Session (60-day session from January 20-March 2oth) is remote this year. Remote participation means that you can testify wherever you live in the state, and this year it’s more important than ever that your voice is heard. There are a few important bills on deck for 2021’s Legislative Session that need your support in order to pass! Each week, we’ll provide both the details on the bill ..read more

We don’t think so. Check out this video to learn more: The post Can Carbon Capture Save Coal? appeared first on San Juan Citizens Alliance ..read more

Keep LPEA’s Exit Charge Case in Colorado LPEA has made huge headway in its fight for cleaner, cheaper power here in Southwest Colorado. But by illegally adding new members to the cooperative “family”, Tri-State qualified for federal regulation – pre-empting current state regulation under the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). We need you to tell the PUC to rule that Tri-State’s new members were added illegally so that the PUC can keep its jurisdiction and LPEA can keep moving forward. What’s Happening: It gets a little wonky here, so hang on! If you want a deeper dive into these ..read more

Today, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission unanimously decided to replace San Juan Generating Station power with 100 percent renewable energy when the coal-fired power plant is retired in 2022. This decision marks an extraordinary turning point in the energy future of the Four Corners, and is incredibly important for the long-term prosperity and health of local communities. From the start, we have advocated for an energy transition that recognizes the rapidly improving economics of renewables and the benefits of clean power for San Juan County. Now, this decision will modernize pow ..read more