Meetings roundup: Air quality group to learn about carbon capture proposal for power plant

Hannah Grover
Farmington Daily Times

FARMINGTON — Enchant Energy CEO Jason Selch will answer questions this week about the company’s plans to install carbon capture technology on the San Juan Generating Station.

Selch will be attending the annual Four Corners Air Quality Group meeting. The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Enchant Energy is partnering with the City of Farmington and received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study installing carbon capture technology on the San Juan Generating Station.

More:'This really is a prime location.' DOE official discusses carbon capture and power plant

Water vapor and carbon dioxide are the main things that come out of the units at the San Juan Generating Station following multiple environmental upgrades over the years.

If the project is successful, the San Juan Generating Station could become one of the first utility-scale coal-fired generating stations to implement the technology. There is currently a plant in Canada and another in Texas that use the technology.

More:Enchant Energy CEO: 'This area could become a leader in CO2 in the world'

If the project is not successful, the San Juan Generating Station will close in the summer of 2022. That will mean hundreds of coal miners and power plant workers will lose their jobs.

Enchant Energy CEO Jason Selch answers a question, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, during a meeting at San Juan College.

On a similar topic, Mike Matheson from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe will present about methane capture at the Fruitland outcrop.

The group will also discuss ozone during the meeting. San Juan County has been pushing the federal threshold for ozone and La Plata County, Colorado, received an “F” from the American Lung Association for ozone.

More:San Juan County is pushing the federal limits for ozone pollution

The Four Corners Air Quality Group, formerly called a task force, consists of New Mexico Environment Department, Navajo Nation, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regions, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Utah Department of Environmental Quality, the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado and New Mexico, the National Park Service's Intermountain Region and three regions of the U.S. Forest Service.

The group meets on an annual basis and rotates locations between Colorado and New Mexico. Last year's meeting was at San Juan College.

The Shiprock pinnacle can be seen, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, from the San Juan Generating Station. Meanwhile, transmission lines transport electricity away from the power plant.

Aztec City Commission will discuss solar

The Aztec City Commission will discuss fees charged for residents or businesses that have solar panels and want to remain connected to the Aztec Electric Utility. This discussion will occur when it meets at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 22 for a work session at Aztec City Hall, 201 W. Chaco St.

More:Aztec school district investing in solar energy

Following the work session, the City Commission will have its regular meeting at 6 p.m. Topics include the Aztec Sparkles holiday light competition and a closed session for a city manager evaluation.

Other meetings

♦ The Farmington City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Farmington City Hall, 800 N. Municipal Drive. The agenda includes discussion of a possible land donation from a Farmington resident. The land is valued at $275,000.

♦ Farmington Municipal School Board will meet at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 24 at the school district offices located at 3401 E 30th St., Suite A.

♦ San Juan College Board will meet at 8 a.m. Oct. 24 in room 99228 of the San Juan College School of Energy, 5301 College Blvd.

Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652 or via email at hgrover@daily-times.com.

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