Image by: Matt Preusch

The coal-fired San Juan Generating Station in New Mexico.

As Renewables Boom, California Struggles to Quit Coal

From: KQED
Series: QUEST: Coal at the Crossroads
Length: 05:09

California is known for its "green" reputation. Just look at all the new solar and wind farms popping up around the state. So it might be a surprise that residents in Southern California still depend on coal power when they turn on the lights. The region's utilities are struggling to wean themselves off coal energy. As Lauren Sommer reports for our series Coal at the Crossroads, utilities around the country may soon be facing the same battle. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: As Renewables Boom, California Struggles to Quit Coal
From: KQED

Coal-plant_-_preusch_small California is known for its "green" reputation. Just look at all the new solar and wind farms popping up around the state. So it might be a surprise that residents in Southern California still depend on coal power when they turn on the lights. The region's utilities are struggling to wean themselves off coal energy. As Lauren Sommer reports for our series Coal at the Crossroads, utilities around the country may soon be facing the same battle.

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Piece Description

Broadcast History

Aired locally on KQED on September 26, 2011.
Series aired locally on NET week of Sept 26-30, 2011.
Series airing locally on WCPN week of Oct 3-7, 2011.

Transcript

AMBI: Loud industrial sound

To most Californians, this is a foreign sight. The San Juan Generating Station is a massive coal-fired power plant in the dry desert of northern New Mexico, capped with four towering smokestacks.

THEMIG: We currently have unit four offline, but units one, two and three are operating at full load.

Pat Themig is the Vice President of Generation for PNM, the New Mexico utility that runs the plant.

THEMIG: If you see the line where the stack is, everything going behind that is scrubber.

Those scrubbers remove pollutants from the air emissions. But PNM has struggled to meet air quality standards and last month, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the plant to install new pollution control equipment.

How does this effect California? Well, the answer starts here, at the power substation.

THEMIG: From there, the power from our step-up transformer goes...
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

California is known for its “green” reputation. Just look at all the new solar and wind farms popping up around the state. So you might be surprised that residents in Southern California are still depending on coal power when they turn on the lights. The region’s utilities are struggling to wean themselves off coal energy. And as Lauren Sommer reports, utilities around the country may soon be facing the same battle.

OUTRO:

Listen to other Coal at the Crossroads radio stories on our website.