He threw the largest electrical benefit in Wyoming, the temporary lifestyle of the coal power plant in Dave Johnston, near Stop burning charcoal at the Nuton Station to generate electricity Near Kimmeer by the end of this year.
This step is welcomed by news in Conferres Province, according to committee chairman Jim Wilux, noting that the Dave Johnston factory employs hundreds of local population. It is a “scary” proposal in Kemmerer, where the fate of the Naughon Factory may predict the ability of the Naughon Coal mine, which employs nearly 200 people.
In general, Pacificor, the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, has made a major shift from previous plans to calling greatly by relying on coal during rapid investments in renewable energy, according to the final. 2025 integrated resource plan -A wide document of size-was published earlier this week. Changes, according to Pacificorp and many observers, come in response to President Donald Trump's assembly Fossil fuel regulations And the age of Biden Climate and renewable energy initiatives.
Pacificor, which works in six western states, including Wyoming, admits that its revised plans will increase dependence on natural gas – a commodity Exposed to fluctuating price fluctuations And more greenhouse gas emissions aimed at the planet.
Ultimately, the plan reflects the change of the saying through industrial emissions From the federal government to the statesAccording to some of the facilities manufacturers. In fact, there is one major change with the plan – a “road map” that is not binding on how to generate it and gain electrical energy for 20 years and is updated every two years – is a Pacificorp step to perpetuate specific energy sources for specific cases.
For example, the company directs more renewable energy sources to the Washington and Oregon service regions because these states have an implemented capacity power portfolio.
In fact, Pacificorp – motivated by legislators in Utah -state – Dismantling disintegration To serve individual countries in their own service area for their favorite power generation sources.
It is a step that Wyoming leaders made for years, although many of the calls for the preservation and defending that warn that they will lead to an elevation of electric bills here and a more dusty environment. Pacificorp, part of the Hathaway Perkchire of Warren Buffett, runs some of the most coal factories in America, according to another Reuters analysis.
“Instead of giving priority for renewable energy costs, the tool is doubled by expensive fossil fuel, speculative carbon capture technology and the nuclear factory-all while the price motors are writing the bill,” said Sierra from Wyoming Energy Emma Jones.
What is in the Wyoming plan?
Instead of full retirement of two four units that burn coal at Dev Johnston Energy Station in 2028, the tool is now planning to convert these units into natural gas in 2029 and continue to operate them. The third coal unit at Dave Johnston will be closed in 2027, as previously planned, and the fourth, which did not have a retirement date will now be converted into natural gas in 2030.
The company's plans for the Jim Bridger Electricity Station east of Rock Springs and the Noteon Factory near Kimmene.
Two of four coal units in Jim Bridger were transferred to natural gas last year, and the company is still planning to re -adjust the other two units there with carbon technology by 2030 or 2032, to Compliance with Wyoming's mandate.
In Naughon, the first three coal units were converted into natural gas in 2020. Pacificorp confirmed this week that it is still planning to take the remaining coal units in non -contact mode by the end of this year and resume their operation on natural gas in 2026 – a commitment that is also reflected in November presentation With Wyoming Public Service Committee.
The switching of coal there, according to Pacificorp, is due to the determination of “the transfer of natural gas to the Naughon 1 and 2 units was the lowest and less dangerous option for the company and its customers” and deserves an estimated cost of $ 12.1 million to do so, according to previous planning documents.
The future of the Woodak factory outside Gillett is less clear. “The company previously planned retirement at the coal factory in 2039. Now, there is no official retirement date for the factory. However, if the previous repetitions of the Clean Air Law remained under the Biden Administration, it will be retired in 2032.
Local officials welcomed the news of the re -postponement of some coal factories in the state, although many of them will eventually be transferred to natural gas. The power plant is responsible for hundreds of jobs, directly and indirectly, according to local officials.
In Conferres, the power plant Dave Johnston was decisive to the local economy, and committee chairman Jim Wilux told Wyofile. “It provides regular job opportunities with good wages, and most importantly, the main strength of the West of the United States,” said Wilkox.
Change coal markets
Before Trump's tariff initiatives this week, there was increased optimism among the coal supporters that the American coal market might recover from the recent declines.
Although American coal production is still It is expected to decrease again this yearEspecially in the crushed river basin, the decline rate slows down due to the increased electrical demand. Six months ago, the American pension industry planned about 15,600 megawatts of coal -operating energy during the next year, according to the McClaski coal analyst. However, by March, the planned charcoal factory retired to 12,300 megawatts.
One megat is enough electricity to operate about 750 homes.
“This is driven by the huge requirements for cloud computing, artificial intelligence computing, bitcoin mining, cryptocurrencies, and continuous movement of e -commerce and sales online,” said Diana Ridgawi in March. “All of this leads an increase in the growth of pregnancy (electric). As a result, power generators back return their previous retirement decisions from coal factories.”
However, McCloskey analysts note that the extension of coal factories is likely to be short -term just because the United States fleet has already exceeded its average life and there are no new coal factories on the construction list.
“I think we will see some of the retirement (the charcoal),” Andrew Bloomfield, Marcloskey Analytics Director, told by March Analytics General Manager. “But, in the end, it is not the time on the side of coal units.”
Although Pacificor pushes pension dates for the coal plant back, he indicated that due to the increasing cost of operating facilities – which number more than 50 years – will continue to run coal factories in less than their estimated ability.
“Instead of giving priority for the costs of renewable energy known as the function, the utility of the fossil fuel is doubled expensive, and the technology of steadily carbon and the nuclear factory-all while the price motors are tied to the bill.”
Emma Jones, Sierra Club in Wyoming
Pacificorp is also planning to finish the touches on an agreement – perhaps this year – to purchase electricity from the nuclear power plant in Terrapower near KEMMERER. However, the utility did not reveal the potential cost, which will be transferred to the price perpetrators through multiple cases. The expected construction cost of Natrium is 4 billion dollars.
Renewable energy
Although Pacificor will use a little solar energy than required in the 2023 plan, this force is mostly intended for its customers in Oregon and Washington, according to the company.
“The winds are going in all fields,” the lawyer for Sierra FC, Rose Monohn Club, told Wyofile.
Although the last plan calls for more than 3700 megawatts of new wind power generation throughout the Six -country service area by 2045, this is a 59 % reduction compared to the previous plan of the company.
Pacificor is still moving forward building electric transport lines between 8 billion dollars-which is described as a key to providing “the ability to withstand long and reliable costs and help build a more flexible network”, according to the company, and according to “important new data center loads.” This means that Wyoming is likely to see the continuous expansion of the building of wind energy in Wyoming, Monohn said, without reaping all the benefits of that energy.
“This means that the Wyoming electrical rates are still closely linked to fossil fuel,” said Monohan.
She indicated that in requests for the last prices in Wyoming – both of them Permanent increases and Annual fuel cost amendments -The company indicated to increase the costs of operating coal -powered facilities and fluctuating the markets of coal and natural gas commodities. “The Wyoming electrical rates are still closely related to fossil fuel, which Pacificorp confessed to the last average case was far from the largest driver to increase prices,” said Monohan.
Pacificor's Rocky Mountain Power recently agreed to trim it The latest request to raise the Wyoming rate From 14.7 % to 10.2 %. The Wyoming Public Service Committee is expected to rule on the settlement agreement on April 15.
Why changes?
Observers, and even Pacificor, note that the company's 2025 planning document represents a major exit from the previous plans.
“These changes are in response to changes in future customer requests, technology developments, federal and federal policy changes and future economics expectations,” Pacificor's spokesman David Eskesen told Wyofile via email.
He pointed out that the planning documents, which look at 20 years in the future, are constantly changing and are updated every two years. “All IRP is a road map for the future, based on the latest information for modeling and dropping.”
At the opening of the Pacificorp 2025 plan, it states, “The favorite portfolio responds to the rapid expansion yard of new federal regulatory requirements.”
Although the wisdom in calculating these continuous changes-or at least is trying to calculate it-Monahan said it believes that the updated Pacificorp plan in the long run relies heavily on the effect of the Trump administration on the facility industry.
“This administration will not last forever,” said Monahan. “This is a 20-year wallet. Because no changes in environmental policy-it is just building risks in the portfolio, unnecessarily.”
What increases the complexity of expectations for electrical facilities – and for each nation’s economy sector – is the Trump tariff and its global responses, which include revenge definitions.
Wilux, from Conferres, said that industrial companies in his region – Pacificore, as well as manufacturers, oil and natural gas manufacturers – buy a lot of steel, aluminum and other industrial supplies from “everywhere”.
“(Definitions) will have an impact on the energy industry in Conferres,” said Wilux. “What is this effect, we don't know yet.”
Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of the Chairman of the Conferres County Committee Jim Wilux.