The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has taken new steps toward eliminating coal from Los Angeles' power supply. Representatives of LADWP and Salt River Project have reached what the utilities describe as "sufficient progress on the principle terms" to sell LADWP's stake in Navajo Generating Station (NGS), a 477 MW coal plant.
The utilities plan to move forward to negotiate a definitive agreement that would end Los Angeles' use of coal-fired power from the plant by the end of 2015. If a final agreement can be reached and approved by each party's governing bodies, this will end LADWP's role in NGS more than four years earlier than mandated by California state law.
Additionally, LADWP's Board of Water and Power Commissioners has approved a contract that will enable LADWP to completely transition out of coal power from the Intermountain Power Plant in Delta, Utah, by 2025 at the latest, with efforts to begin that transition no later than 2020.
LADWP says the announcements reflect a transformation of the city's power supply to renewable energy.
"The era of coal is over," says Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles. "Today we affirm our commitment to make Los Angeles a cleaner, greener, more sustainable city. By divesting from coal and investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency, we reduce our carbon footprint and set a precedent for the national power market."
