Coal-reliant Arizona Communities Rely on Trump's Advocacy to Avoid Being Overlooked
A Brash Tale: Coal, Communities, and Power
Jose Brantley Baird of Joseph City, Arizona, never misses an opportunity to chat about the past. From his great-grandmother helping establish Snowflake before Arizona became a state, to his days riding bareback to school, tales of the past are a seamless part of his narrative.
The Baird clan worked the land, raised livestock, and witnessed the creation of the railroad and the rise and fall of cattle empires. Then came the coal-fired power plants that emerged across the northern Arizona and New Mexico landscape, driving progress in distant Western cities.
These colossal plants, such as the Cholla Power Plant situated near Baird's upcoming museum, played a vital role in the region's saga—positioning themselves at the crux of its uncertain future.
Cholla had been a local economic powerhouse, offering jobs and generating revenue for the community, schools, and neighboring towns. Yet, the plant's smokestacks now lay dormant; retiring in March due to the exorbitant costs of maintaining compliance with strict environmental regulations.
Just a month later, President Donald Trump reversed course with new executive orders—vowing to breathe new life into "gorgeous, clean coal" and revitalize plants like Cholla. He aimed to propel a wave of American manufacturing and technological advancements, notably in the realm of artificial intelligence, using domestic sources of energy—coal included.
In the rugged West, the promises of distant leaders often face a harsh reality. Baird and his neighbors were heartened by Trump's focus on Cholla, but there's a lingering sense of doubt regarding the plants' fate.
"As many jobs as it gave us, as much help to our school district right here that we get from there, we're hoping to see it come back too," shared Baird, a former Cholla worker and school board member. However, he worries if it's too late for coal.
The Phasing Out of Coal-Burning Plants
Weeks before Trump's announcement, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projected a 65% surge in coal-fired plant retirements in 2025 compared to the prior year. Topping this list is the 1,800-megawatt Intermountain Power Project in Utah, set to be replaced by a plant capable of burning natural gas and hydrogen.
Utilities, already expanding their energy capacity, question whether Trump's orders will steer them back to coal. As Todd Snitchler, CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association, explained, multimillion- and billion-dollar investments require a solid legislative approach rather than executive orders.
Last month, Arizona legislators sent a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, warning that the economic backlash from the 2019 closure of the Navajo Generating Station persists. The plant's stacks were dismantled, and the mine that fed it closed. In New Mexico, the San Juan Generating Station ceased operations in 2022.
Caught in the middle are communities such as Joseph City, whose livelihoods revolve around the power plants. They hope the Trump administration can help their region remain competitive for another generation. From Joseph City to Springerville, they prepare for the significant hits to employment, tax revenues, and enrollment in schools—painful realities in Apache and Navajo counties, two of Arizona's poorest regions.
Cholla's operators informed Arizona regulators that reactivating the plant would burden customers with increased costs and that they plan to invest in renewable energy instead. The plant's infrastructure would nevertheless be preserved as a possible site for future nuclear or gas-fired power generation, and Springerville's station could be repurposed upon the plant's final closure in 2032. The company responsible for the coal-fired Coronado Generating Station, located 30 miles away, also intends to convert to natural gas.
The Battle Over Wind Energy
In Springerville, the proposition of constructing 112 wind turbines—taller than Seattle's Space Needle—nearby grasslands and ancient volcanic fields elicits vehement protests. Town council member and plant retiree, Doug Henderson, feels indignant, asserting that renewable sources struggle to accommodate power demand wobbles caused by a lack of sunshine or wind.
Springerville Mayor Shelly Reidhead, along with others, is fighting to halt the wind farm's development, contending that repurposing the Springerville coal plant would generate more jobs and preserve the landscape.
"People don't want to come here to gaze at turbines," Reidhead said of the proposed windmills.
The Western Drug and General Store, adorned with miniature American flags outside, not only offers supplies but accommodates anything from slippers to rifles. Andrea Hobson, who has run the store for some 20 years, expressed her concerns about the town's fate without the power plant. "It would beset a ghost town. It really would,” she shared. "That's the heart of this town."
Filling the Economic Void
Springerville's administrators face sleepless nights pondering the future industries to fill the void, teetering on the edge of a 350-job loss. Beyond the employment loss, dozens of contract staff and the businesses they sustain—from the general store to frozen yogurt shops, hospitals, and local churches—are also at risk.
Former crew manager at the plant, Randel Penrod, fears a prolonged process to permit a new plant. With retirement looming, the plant has streamlined its workforce, setting the stage for a long-lasting economic impact on neighboring communities.
Mayor Reidhead feels optimistic following meetings with Arizona's congressional delegation and utility executives, believing that the Trump administration can expedite the permitting process and bring new plants online. She believes a sense of urgency exists, as the development of artificial intelligence and its power requirements necessitate swift action.
However, some energy analysts contend that Trump's coal push is largely symbolic, as power companies wield the keys to their future. Alternatively, others concur that diversifying energy sources is essential as the U.S. projects increases in power demand for the first time in decades.
Beyond the black clouds of uncertainties, construction teams assemble one of Arizona's largest solar and battery storage projects outside the confines of Joseph City. The panels will join others on leased private lands, including Baird's extensive ranch.
As Baird reflects on the tumultuous changes he has witnessed during his lifetime, wondering what the next 100 years could bring, he admits, "Hell, who knows? You know, when it comes right down to it, we'll just wait and see."
- Jose Brantley Baird of Joseph City, Arizona, hopes for the revitalization of the Cholla Power Plant, a local economic powerhouse that offered jobs and generated revenue for the community.
- Baird, a former Cholla worker and school board member, expresses concern about the exorbitant costs of maintaining compliance with environmental regulations that led to the plant's retirement.
- In a bid to breathe new life into coal-fired power plants, President Donald Trump aimed to propel a wave of American manufacturing and technological advancements, notably in the realm of artificial intelligence.
- Despite Trump's focus on Cholla, there's a lingering sense of doubt regarding the plants' fate, as utilities question whether Trump's orders will steer them back to coal.
- In Springerville, Arizona, the proposition of constructing wind turbines near grasslands and ancient volcanic fields elicits vehement protests, with some preferring the repurposing of the Springerville coal plant.
- Amid the closure of coal-fired power plants, Springerville's administrators face sleepless nights pondering the future industries to fill the void, with a potential loss of 350 jobs and dozens of businesses at risk.
- Construction teams are assembling one of Arizona's largest solar and battery storage projects outside Joseph City, joining others on leased private lands, including Baird's extensive ranch, as the United States projects increases in power demand for the first time in decades.
