NAVAJO COUNTY, Ariz. — On Monday, the Navajo Generation Station, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in the southwest region officially ended operations east of Page, Arizona.
In 2017, the owner, including SRP, APS, NV Energy and Tucson Electric Power, decided to shut down NSW due to the expense of the operation of the 2,250-megawatt plants after the lease with the Navajo Nation ended this December.
Nearly 300 people out of the 433 employees laid off accepted new positions offered by SRP.
"NGS will always be remembered as a coal-fired workhorse whose employees made it one of the safest and most reliable power plants in the nation," said SRP CEO and General Manager Mike Hummel. "After more than 40 years of generating electricity for millions across the West, NGS - and its employees - are one reason why this region, the state of Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area have been able to grow and thrive."
Now the site will concentrate on decommissioning, long-term monitoring and ongoing operation of the transmission system under a 35-year extension lease with the Navajo Nation.
The decommissioning phase is expected to take about three years, according to SRP, and the cost is expected to be about $150 million.
In a press release, SRP said they instructed the contractors conducting the decommissioning operation to extend hiring preference for contract work to qualified members of the Navajo Nation.
