For decades two coal fired power plants in Emery County have shored up Los Angeles County’s power grid. These two power plants, Hunter and Huntington, both owned by PacifiCorp, have proven to be controversial in recent times due to Los Angeles County’s decision to move away from coal fired power generation. As the leading cause of global overheating, coal generation has remained a target for more progressive environs such as Los Angeles County in the quest to upgrade to cleaner sources of energy.
Despite the loss of the power’s primary customer within the next few years, PacifiCorp has refused consistent calls to shut the plant down. Both of the power stations faced an Environmental Protection Agency regulation designed to slash carbon pollution and increase visibility at Grand Canyon National Park, a regulatory move that was countered by both recent presidential administrations.
Recently, a memorandum to close both plants down by 2032 was rescinded back to the original date of 2036.
This is, in spite of the health impacts and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damages due to the carbon emissions from both plants.
The Utah Legislature, PacifiCorp, and other stakeholders would do well to heed the economic costs of these unforeseen externalities, and reverse the decision to move the closure of the plant back four years to avoid further damages. The gained opportunity benefit should instead focus on revitalizing the communities the plants are in to charter a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable method of power generation to ensure continued economic growth and communal prosperity.
Andrew Brodd, Draper
