Wyoming lawmakers are trying to give coal-fired power plants a fighting chance
The future is not looking bright for coal. As the industry in Wyoming tumbles, lawmakers are scrambling to prepare the state for a forthcoming domino effect of coal-fired power plant retirements.
National demand for thermal coal, mainly used to produce electricity, has continued to sink. Utilities have pivoted away from coal to cheaper natural gas and renewable energy sources that save ratepayers money. Last month, Moody’s Investors Service forecast Powder River Basin coal production will slip even more next year and catalyze “at least a few” coal mine closures.
This comes as Wyoming’s leading utility company plans to shutter two-thirds of its national coal fleet by 2030. To ensure ratepayers the lowest cost electricity in the coming decades, units at Naughton in Kemmerer, Jim Bridger near Rock Springs and Dave Johnston in Glenrock will be on the chopping block. PacifiCorp will first retire Jim Bridger’s unit 1 in 2023.
For decades, utility commissions have regulated the private companies providing electricity with the goal of maintaining a healthy energy grid, buoying the economy and protecting consumers’ pocket books.
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