At its March 4 Open Meeting, the Arizona Corporation Commission unanimously approved the conversion of Salt River Project’s Coronado Generating Station from coal to natural gas.
“This approval is a meaningful milestone for communities supported by CGS and for Arizona's energy reliability,” the Arizona public power utility said.
SRP can now move ahead with converting the existing coal-fired units to natural gas by late 2029, “preserving critical generating capacity that provides enough reliable power for more than 150,000 homes. This decision supports SRP’s long-term strategy to meet rapidly growing peak demand -- projected to increase by 50% by 2035.”
The natural gas conversion ensures CGS continues to serve as a vital resource for grid reliability and affordability, bridging operations into the mid-2040s as emerging technologies, including advanced nuclear, mature for future deployment, SRP noted.
