Coal Plant that Navajo Community Doesn’t Want Is Dropped

Middle River Power is reportedly backing away from efforts to purchase Navajo Generating Station.  In response, local Navajo community leaders issued the following statement:

“Based on economics alone, this plant was never going to make it past 2019.  The time and money spent over the last year to find someone to buy the costly coal plant distracted from a clean energy transition that our people desperately need,” said Nadine Narindrankura of Tó Nizhóni Ání.  “Navajo leadership needs to seize this moment.  The opportunity has presented itself once more to prepare for a successful transition away from coal.  The future is in renewables, not in a dead coal market.  There is much to be done — the Navajo Nation should focus its efforts on building the 500MW of renewable energy using the transmission lines negotiated on the current lease agreement on NGS.”

“Now that Middle River Power has withdrawn its intention to purchase the Navajo Generating Station, all attention should now be directed toward developing new economic opportunities that will support the plant workers, the mine workers, and the Tribes that had grown overly dependent on coal revenue,” said Percy Deal, local Navajo Nation resident.  “The Navajo and Hopi lands are ideal for new solar power development, and building new clean energy infrastructure can support new jobs and revenue opportunities.  Local families have never taken our eyes off of what we have been praying for — for our livelihoods to be on a path to recovery after all this is said and done.”

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