Idaho Power Wants to Speed Closure of Nevada Coal Plant

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Idaho Power has announced its intention to close a Nevada coal plant it co-owns with NV Energy 10 years sooner than planned, a move that would shutter both units at Nevada's last utility-owned, coal-burning power plant by 2025.

Idaho Power said in filings with state regulators in Boise on Wednesday it will work with Nevada-based NV Energy to reach an agreement to stop burning coal at the North Valmy plant near Battle Mountain under the new timeline. Conservationists have pushed for the expedited closure for years.

They say current plans to keep one unit operating until 2035 would waste tens of millions of ratepayers' dollars, primarily because coal now costs significantly more than alternative energy sources. Elspeth DiMarzio of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign in Nevada says it's a clear victory for both the environment and ratepayers.