Cholla Power Plant
The Cholla Power Plant is a 1.02-gigawatt (1,021 MW), coal power plant near Joseph City, Arizona. The plant is jointly owned by Arizona Public Service (APS) and PacifiCorp. The plant began operations in 1962.
| Cholla Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
| |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Joseph City, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 34°56′25″N 110°18′01″W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | Unit 1: 1962 Unit 2: 1978 Unit 3: 1980 Unit 4: 1981 |
| Decommission date | Unit 2: 2016 |
| Owner(s) | Units 1–3: Arizona Public Service Unit 4: PacifiCorp |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Subbituminous coal |
| Turbine technology | Steam turbine |
| Cooling source | Artificial Cholla Lake |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,021 MW |
History
The coal burned at the plant came mostly from the McKinley Mine, located east of Window Rock, Arizona in New Mexico, until the mine was closed in 2009 after its reserves being leased were exhausted.[1] In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notified Cholla that pollution controls were needed for Units 2 through 4.[2] Unit 2 was retired in 2016 as the cost to add pollution controls outweighed the benefits. The remaining units were to be either retired or converted to burn another fuel source by 2025.[3] In January 2020, it was announced that PacifiCorp would close unit 4 by the end of the year. APS announced that while a conversion to natural gas had been an option, it was no longer being considered. A proposal was put forth to convert a unit to burn biomass, however regulators at the Arizona Corporation Commission voted down that plan in 2019.[4]
Units
The plant currently consists of the following units:[5]
| Unit | Nameplate capacity (MWe) | Commissioning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 113.6 | 1962 | Retirement scheduled for 2025 |
| 2 | 288.9 | 1978 | Retired April 2016 |
| 3 | 312.3 | 1980 | Retirement scheduled for 2025 |
| 4 | 414 | 1981 | Retirement scheduled for 2020 |
References
- Donovan, Bill (September 24, 2009). "McKinley Mine to cease operations in December". Navajo Times. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- Randazzo, Ryan (October 13, 2014). "Plan emerges for fourth unit at Cholla Power Plant". Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- Randazzo, Ryan (April 2, 2019). "APS will try to switch coal power plant to burn wood from forest thinning, possibly cutting wildfire risk". Arizona Republic. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
- Randazzo, Ryan (January 7, 2020). "Arizona coal generator to close in 2020, while another given lifeline as decline of plants across West continues". Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-14.