In past iterations of a long-term regional resource plan from PacifiCorp, Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company, there have been estimated timelines to shut down Hunter and Huntington, two major Utah coal-powered power plants. But, the last update of the draft doesn’t foresee a closure in the next 20 years.
In the 2023 version of PacifiCorp’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), coal units at Hunter had an assumed end in 2042, while Huntington units were scheduled to be retired in 2036. In this year’s plan, PacifiCorp assumes both plants, located in Emery County, won’t be retired anytime before 2045.
“The reason for that is, primarily, the changes that have happened recently in regulatory requirements at the state and federal levels,” David Eskelsen, a Rocky Mountain Power spokesperson, said about the lack of retirement dates for Hunter and Huntington…