KGUN 9NewsLocal News

Actions

Group marches in support of keeping Navajo coal plant open

Posted
and last updated

A coalition of groups is marching to the state Capitol on Tuesday to support extending the life of a coal-fired power plant near the Arizona-Utah border.

The Navajo Generating Station in Page is set to close at the end of 2019 unless a new owner can be found. It's considered a long-shot, but the company that owns the supply mine is trying.

The power plant is a major revenue source for the Navajo and Hopi tribes. The electricity generated there also powers a series of canals that deliver water to metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson.

The Salt River Project operates the plant and announced last year it would close it because power from natural gas is cheaper.

The groups say that would devastate Navajo and Hopi families in areas of high unemployment.