EPA backs Ariz. co-ops' haze plan

Sep 11 - Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)

-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is backing a less costly plan floated by Arizona's Generation & Transmission Cooperatives (known as AzGT) to cut emissions from the Apache Generating Station that contribute to regional haze.

The EPA's proposed approval of the co-ops' plan comes two years after the agency issued an implementation plan that would have required installing expensive "selective catalytic reduction" technology on both of the coal units at the Apache Generating Station in Cochise , south of Willcox .

That plan, which went through a public comment period and hearing last year, would have cost more than $200 million and could have forced the plant to close one or both of its coal-fired units, AzGT said in a news release. AzGT supplies power to six member electric co-ops, including Marana -based Trico Electric Cooperative .

The revised plan submitted last year by AzGT calls for converting one of Apache's generating units to natural gas and installing upgraded emissions controls on both units, resulting in overall emissions reductions greater than the EPA's original plan at a cost of just $32 million .

The EPA announced Tuesday that the proposal will soon be filed in the Federal Register , kicking off a 45-day comment period before final adoption.

AzGT is made up of Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO), which owns and operates the 605-megawatt Apache power plant; Southwest Transmission Cooperative and Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services.

Collectively, Trico and the other AzGT co-ops serve more than 147,000 meters representing more than 350,000 individual residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial customers.

Contact Assistant Business Editor David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 573-4181.

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