Community Level Impacts of the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in the Navajo and Hopi Nations: A Comparative Study

After the Salt River Project announced it would be closing the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) by the end of 2019, efforts to keep the plant open and running were immediately undertaken by community members, the Navajo and Hopi Nations, and the supplying mine owner Peabody Energy. With no buyers willing to take on the project, the NGS and the supplying Kayenta Mine will be closing in December 2019. This report focuses on the effects of large coal-fired plant closure on the surrounding community in three comparative cases in an effort to understand what the Coconino County and the Navajo and Hopi Nations might be headed towards in the coming years. By examining economic factors such as poverty and unemployment, communities may be better prepared by knowing what to expect. Then, specific particularities the Navajo and Hopi Nations face in regards to remediation and redevelopment of the NGS area are analyzed and compared to six other cases of coal plants closed and remediated in the past. To continue facilitating a better understanding of a just transition for the communities dependent on the NGS and Kayenta mine for jobs, future studies could focus on remediation options and renewable energy (RE) capacity.
Keywords: coal plant closure, remediation, Navajo Generating Station