of coal power plant capacity, across 26 units in 14 plants, will over time, be shuttered or transition to alternate fuel sources, based on decisions announced so far this year. Nearly 2,000 jobs will be impacted.

Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) announced it will seek regulatory approval to retire the 650 MW coal-fired Dolet Hills Power Plant in Louisiana by the end of 2026, as part of a rate agreement approved by Arkansas regulators. Both the operational units (2x325 MW) will be shuttered. Dolet Hills burns 3.5-4 million tons of lignite yearly. Co-owned by Cleco, the coal plant is the most expensive in Louisiana, according to Sierra Club, and emits more carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide per unit of electricity than other power plants in the state. Closing down the plant will save customers more than $60 million a year on utility bills, according to the group.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission announced it will close its 247 MW Escalante Coal Plant in Prewitt, New Mexico, by the end of 2020, over two decades earlier than the plant's planned end-of-life in 2045. Tri-State has been pressured by its rural electric co-op members — including Brighton-based United Power and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association — to make a faster transition to renewable energy in recent years. 107 jobs are expected to be impacted.

Tri-State Generation and Transmission announced it will close Units 2 and 3 of the 1,285 MW Craig Coal Fired Power Station in Moffat County, Colorado. The 410 MW Unit 2 and the 448 MW Unit 3 will be shut down by 2030. Tri-State has been pressured by its rural electric co-op members — including Brighton-based United Power and Durango-based La Plata Electric Association — to make a faster transition to renewable energy in recent years. 253 jobs are expected to be impacted.

Oregon-based PacifiCorp has announced it plans to close 395 MW Unit 4 of its Cholla coal-fired power plant in the town of Joseph City, Arizona. by the end of this year. The remaining two units 113.6 MW Unit 1 and 312.3 MW Unit 3 are scheduled to close in 2025. PacifiCorp officials said continued operation of Cholla Unit 4 was no longer economic for the company's customers beyond 2020 when compared to other resource alternatives. The plant is jointly owned by Arizona Public Service (APS) and PacifiCorp. Around 200 jobs will be impacted.

Arizona Public Service (APS) announced it will close the 770 MW Unit 4 and 770 MW Unit 5 of its Four Corners Power Plant in Fruitland, New Mexico, by 2031, seven years ahead of its scheduled closure. The closure announcements are part of its plans for all its power generation to be carbon-free by 2050, and to produce nearly half its power from renewable sources by 2030.

Hoosier Energy announces closing of the 2 Unit 1,070 MW Merom Generating Station, in Sullivan, Indiana by 2023. This decision is a part of Hoosier Energy's 20-year resource plan. It will reduce the company's carbon footprint by nearly 80% and save its members $700 million over the next 20 years. Company officials say they will do everything they can to assist the 185 employees during this 3-year transition.

Dairyland Power announced retirement of the 345 MW Genoa Station #3 (G-3), located in Genoa, Wisconsin as part of its Sustainable Generation Plan. The closure of the power plant, by mid to late 2021, will impact about 80 employees. Dairyland will offer HR programs to impacted employees, including a special retirement program for those eligible. The plant has reliably powered the region for more than five decades.

Springfield City Council members voted unanimously endorsing the retirements of three of City Water, Light and Power’s four coal-fired units of its Dallman coal plant in Springfield, Illinois. Impacted units - 73 MW Unit 1, 68 MW Unit 2 likely be retired by 31 Dec 2020 and 188 MW Unit 3 likely to be retired by 15 Sep 2023. Closing the three units is expected to save $200 million over five years, Doug Brown, CWLP's chief utility engineer, said during a Jan. 29 meeting about the retirement plans.

The 242-MW Birchwood Power Facility in King George County, Va., will shut down before a power purchase agreement expires in 2021. Birchwood Power Partners LP confirmed the retirement, which the company said is based on "market trends and facility economics." Subsidiaries of Japan-headquartered Electric Power Development Co. Ltd. and General Electric Co. each own a 50% stake in the Birchwood plant.

Dominion Energy notified PJM, the regional electric grid operator from which Virginia gets its energy, that it plans to deactivate 337 MW Unit 5 and 678 MW Unit 6 at the Chesterfield Power Station, once the largest fossil-fuel-fired power plant in Virginia.

Great River Energy plans to shutter its 1,100 MW Coal Creek Station by 2022. The 2 unit (2 x 550 MW) plant is located about 50 miles north of Bismarck, North Dakota, near the city of Underwood. Energy produced from coal has been unable to compete with low-priced wind and natural gas, according to Mark Fagan, Great River Energy (GRE) vice president and chief corporate and member services officer. The plant has more than 200 employees, making it one of the largest employers in McLean County.

GenOn Holdings said in a press release that it has started the process to “retire” the three coal powered generating units of its Dickerson Coal Plant in Maryland with name plate capacity of 540 MW . According to the press release, the decision to initiate the retirement is driven by unfavorable economic conditions and increased costs associated with environmental compliance. The closure by Aug this year will impact around 63 jobs.

Madison-based Alliant Energy announced it's shuttering its 380 MW Edgewater coal plant in Sheboygan by the end of 2022. The utility said in a news release the move is being made to align with the company's plans to deliver "cleaner, more cost-effective energy." 80 workers will be impacted by the closure. About 40% of employees are eligible for retirement, and the company plans to provide career assistance to employees, including tuition reimbursement and resume-writing.

The Jacksonville (Fla.) Electric Authority (JEA) board entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Florida Power & Light (FPL) for natural gas-fired and possibly solar power generation. That generation will replace the power output from 848 MW Unit 4 of the Robert W. Scherer Power Plant located in Juliette, Georgia. FPL, which owns 76% of the unit, announced it will close that generator by 01 Jan 2022.