THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: 09.27.2006
PHOENIX — A Phoenix-area utility is considering increasing its stake in the
shuttered Mohave Generating Station as part of its efforts to reopen the
power plant near Laughlin, Nev.
The Salt River Project, which provides electricity to more than 890,000
customers, is already a 20 percent owner of the plant.
The utility said in a release Tuesday that as part of efforts to restart
the plant, it will seek a new ownership group and consider increasing its
share in the plant.
Returning the 1,580-megawatt plant to service will provide needed energy to
the SRP's growing service territory in the Phoenix area, the utility said
in the release.
Southern California Edison had operated the plant since it came on line in
1971. But it shut Mohave down on Jan. 1 because it needed pollution-control
upgrades to comply with a Clean Air Act settlement, a new water supply and
pipeline upgrades costing $1.1 billion.
Environmental groups sued under the Clean Air Act to force the plant to add
modern pollution controls, and in 1999 Edison agreed to do the upgrade by
Jan. 1, 2006, or shut the plant down.
Coal for the plant came from the Black Mesa Mine on the Navajo Nation in
northeastern Arizona, and there were questions about long-term mining
contracts and permits. The coal was mixed with water and then put in a
273-mile slurry pipeline to the plant.
Many Navajo and Hopi tribal members raised concerns about groundwater
depletion and a study has been under way to try to find a more plentiful
source of water for the pipeline.
The SRP said reopening the plant would require several steps, including
construction of about $500 million worth of additional pollution-control
systems.