The Utah Division of Air Quality held a public hearing on a revision to its regional haze control plan, with environmental advocates pressing the agency to preserve a requirement for coal units at the Intermountain Power Plant to cease operations by the end of 2027. The revision, currently proposed for public comment, eliminates a previously established shutdown date and rejects stringent pollution controls for the facility’s coal-fired units.
The EPA had partially disapproved an earlier version of the state’s haze plan in August 2024, citing insufficient pollution reductions from the state’s largest emitters and inadequate improvements to air quality at national parks and surrounding communities. According to advocacy groups, recent legislative action and executive decisions in Utah have aimed to extend the plant’s operational lifespan, citing energy security concerns despite the facility’s power having been largely contracted to out-of-state buyers whose agreements have expired. Data centers have reportedly expressed interest in utilizing power from the continued operation of the facility.
Coal-fired power plants in Utah, including the Intermountain facility alongside Hunter and Huntington stations, are significant contributors to regional haze pollution and rank among the nation’s most damaging sources of emissions affecting national parks. Visibility impairment from these facilities extends across Utah’s national parks and reaches as far as California’s Yosemite. The Regional Haze Rule framework is designed to reduce airborne pollutants to restore natural visibility conditions in protected areas.
Representatives from environmental organizations called on the state to withdraw the proposed revision and prioritize air quality protection. Advocates emphasized the economic importance of Utah’s national parks to local communities and the health implications of sustained pollution exposure for residents, park staff, and visitors. The Intermountain Power Plant has remained inactive since the previous year, prompting arguments that permitting its revival without modern emissions controls represents an unnecessary and outdated policy approach.
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