Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon announced Thursday that an agreement has been reached with PacifiCorp and the State of Wyoming to keep Unit 2 of the Jim Bridger power plant operational beyond April 30, 2022. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.
Governor Gordon Brokers Deal to Keep Jim Bridger Power Plant Open
The agreement provides that Wyoming will agree to PacifiCorp’s planned conversion of Jim Bridger Units 1 and 2 to gas. This conversion may take up to two years, and it was important to Wyoming that both units continued to operate until that conversion. Currently, Unit 2 is operating under a suspension order issued by Governor Gordon on December 31, 2021, which allows continued operation through April 30, 2022. PacifiCorp has agreed to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) for carbon capture facilities to be added to Jim Bridger Units 3 and/or 4. While not a part of this agreement, PacifiCorp has also agreed to issue a similar RFP for Unit 4 of the Dave Johnston Power Plant, near Douglas.
The agreement was memorialized in a consent decree between Wyoming and PacifiCorp that was approved by the District Court earlier this week. This consent decree ensures PacifiCorp’s compliance with the Regional Haze requirements, and that the parties will work to amend the company’s permits and the state’s implementation plan to reflect the conversion to natural gas. Gordon said he is confident the agreement represents a sound path forward, and he remains hopeful that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will agree. The consent decree was submitted to the EPA Thursday as part of the Department of Environmental Quality’s comments regarding EPA’s proposed disapproval of the revised State Implementation Plan. Also included with the comments were the results of the investigation of the Wyoming Public Service Commission concerning the effects of the potential shut down of Unit 2.
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Last modified: February 18, 2022