A major coal power plant in Arizona will soon be converted to natural gas generation. The Salt River Project Board approved the plan Tuesday.
SRP’s Coronado Generating Station in eastern Arizona has been running on coal since the late 1970s.
The utility has plans to phase out coal generation across its sites as it works to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But the utility also expects to see its demand increase 50% in the next decade.
SRP says switching the facility to gas is the lowest-cost option to preserve the plant’s generating capacity while also working toward carbon-reduction goals. The plant generates enough power for about 150,000 homes.
The decision comes in spite of the Trump administration’s push to increase coal power in the U.S.
The conversion will require a new gas pipeline. SRP says it expects the project to be complete by 2029.