Pacificorp Looking At Closing One Wyoming Coal Plant, Partial Shutdown Of Another

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — One Wyoming coal-fired power plant and part of another could face early retirement as part of ongoing efforts to keep down costs for electricity customers, PacifiCorp said Thursday. The announcement by the Portland, Oregon-based electric utility came as it studies the potential savings of retiring coal-fired generating units as early as 2022.

Four coal-fired units in Wyoming have emerged as leading candidates. Two are located at the Naughton plant outside Kemmerer and two at the Jim Bridger plant outside Rock Springs. PacifiCorp shut down one of Naughton’s three units in January. Closing the other two could end operations, though PacifiCorp may keep one unit running after converting it to burn natural gas.

The company should have a better idea about the changes when it releases a “preferred portfolio” of power generation as part of a biennial planning document in August, PacifiCorp spokesman David Eskelsen said.

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The announcement spotlights ongoing problems for the coal industry in Wyoming, the top coal-producing state in the nation, and for one coal company in particular. Englewood, Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal, which recently emerged from bankruptcy, has been seeking to sell its Kemmerer mine which supplies coal solely to the nearby Naughton plant.

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https://www.apnews.com/ce1d0d5e012f4bf8b8ad0363c94e42bb