Latest information on NGS

Navajo Generating Station (NGS), one of the largest and most important suppliers of electricity in the Southwest, is facing a number of difficult issues that may threaten the economic viability of the plant:

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) rule for NGS on Jan. 18, 2013. It requires additional emission control technology at NGS for the purpose of improving visibility in nearby national parks and wilderness areas. If EPA requires the most stringent control technology under consideration, NGS owners could be required to invest over $1.1 billion.
• A site lease with the Navajo Nation, and the grants of rights-of-way for the plant, railroad, transmission and water lines, will begin expiring in 2019. A lease extension and renewals of the rights-of-way are needed before the owners could commit to investing over $1.1 billion in additional emission control equipment.
• NGS owners are working to avoid a facility shutdown, which could occur if the EPA imposes the most stringent controls under consideration before the lease and rights-of-way can be renewed, or if the lease and rights-of-way cannot be renewed.

On behalf of the NGS owners, SRP met with representatives from a number of stakeholder groups with different viewpoints, from tribal interests to environmental organizations to water users, to try to reach a consensus for phasing in environmental controls while keeping the plant in operation.

The EPA's BART rule for NGS was published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2013, beginning a 90-day public comment period. Members of the public can submit comments to the EPA via email, mail or online comment form. The deadline for submitting comments is May 6, 2013, but this date may change if an extension is granted.