There are a lot of questions by people living in Carbon and Emery counties wondering if the reports on EPA air quality standards will impact the power plants and coal mines in the area.
Reaching out to Rocky Mountain Power spokesperson Spencer Hall, he explained that there are a lot of factors that are considered when discussing power plant demand and coal usage.
Hall explained that power supply expectations are becoming more market driven according to the desires of customers.
“With that said, our coal is clean and our employees are efficient and that is why we still have some of the lowest power prices in the country,” said Hall. “There is a place for coal going forward.”
But he explained that more and more customers are asking for power that reduces pollution and therefore there is a place for solar, wind and natural gas power sources also.
“It is important that we have a complete portfolio of generation capabilities,” said Hall. “If something changes in solar or wind, then we have natural gas and coal to turn to. We need to have a diverse portfolio that is reliable and affordable.”
Hall complimented the employees at the power plants in Castle Dale and Huntington as the company has to react to the different suppliers of power to the grid. He explained that California went all in on wind and solar, to a point that they overbuilt.
“We actually get paid to take excess power off their hands in California,” said Hall as he described how they mix this very low cost power in with their current selection. When this power is used Hall said that the two power plants in our area will adjust production down to 20 percent and then bring it back up to match peak loads and demand.
“In fact we were just awarded operational excellence awards for our employees doing just that – ramping up production and cutting it back in a very efficient way,” said Hall.
Rocky Mountain Power is also looking at the impact of smaller, localized generation plants and how their role is being defined in the power generation market as it relates to building mega-power plants as they have done in the past. He said that the low price of natural gas also plays a part in their generation plan.
Hall concluded that even though there are some adjustments being made to clean air standards by the federal government, there are a lot of other factors going into power generation plans as they serve a varied customer base throughout the West. And any decisions to increase or decrease power generation in Emery county would be based on the bigger plan.
Facing regional haze requirements, the company has projected that the three Hunter units will retire in 2042. The two Huntington units, being a few years older, face retirement in 2036, according to current projections.
Coal likely to stay part of PacifiCorp’s energy mix
The last of the three Hunter Plant units in Emery County was commissioned more than 30 years ago. Bag houses and scrubbers capture smoke and sulfur oxides before flue gases enter the tall stacks. Hunter’s projected retirement year is 2042. The Huntington units are slated to retire in 2036.