Four Corners Generating Station
Encyclopedia
The Four Corners Generating Station is a coal-fired power plant located near Fruitland
, New Mexico
, United States
, on property located within the Navajo Indian Reservation that is leased from the Navajo Nation
.
(SCE) 48%, Public Service Company of New Mexico
13%, Salt River Project
10%, Tucson Electric Power
7%, and El Paso Electric
7%. The station is cooled using water from Morgan Lake, which is man-made and is replenished by about 28 million gallons of water each day from the San Juan River. The plant burns sub-bituminous coal
delivered from the nearby Navajo Coal Mine by the Navajo Mine Railroad
.
In 1975, New Mexico enacted a tax on the generation of electricity and an in-state credit such that only electricity exported out-of-state was subject to the tax. Objections to this tax led to two United States Supreme Court cases. In Arizona v. New Mexico
(1976), on a motion seeking to invoke the original jurisdiction
of the Supreme Court, the court initially decided not to be involved and denied the motion, leaving the matter to the state court. The owners of Four Corners filed an action in state court to declare the tax invalid, leading to the United States Supreme Court decision Arizona Public Service Co. v. Snead
(1979), which held that the tax violated the Supremacy Clause
of the United States Constitution
.
In November 2010, APS announced that it would purchase the SCE share of Units 4 and 5, add air pollution
control systems to these units, and shutdown Units 1, 2, and 3. Following the shutdown of Units 1 through 3, the capacity of Four Corners will be 1,540 megawatts. This proposed transaction is being reviewed by various regulatory authorities and should close in the last half of 2012.
Fruitland, New Mexico
Fruitland is an unincorporated community in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States, on the north side of the San Juan River. It is immediately west of central Kirtland and north across the river from the Navajo Indian Reservation and Upper Fruitland. It is east of Waterflow.-History:The area...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on property located within the Navajo Indian Reservation that is leased from the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
.
Description
The Four Corners Generating Station consists of five units with a total rated generating capacity of about 2,040 megawatts. Units 1, 2, and 3 have a combined generating capacity of 560 megawatts while units 4 and 5 each have a generating capacity of 770 MW. The Arizona Public Service Company (APS) owns 100% of Units 1, 2, and 3, while Units 4 and 5 are operated by APS but owned by six companies, with APS owning 15%, Southern California EdisonSouthern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
(SCE) 48%, Public Service Company of New Mexico
PNM Resources
PNM Resources is an energy holding company based in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The acronym PNM by itself usually refers to the PNM Resources subsidiary Public Service Company of New Mexico...
13%, Salt River Project
Salt River Project
The Salt River Project is the umbrella name for two separate entities: the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, an agency of the state of Arizona that serves as an electrical utility for the Phoenix metropolitan area, and the Salt River Valley Water Users' Association, a...
10%, Tucson Electric Power
Tucson Electric Power
Tucson Electric Power is an electric utility company serving southern Arizona in the United States. It is a subsidiary of the UniSource Energy Corporation .Tucson Electric Park, a baseball stadium on Tucson's south side, is named for TEP....
7%, and El Paso Electric
El Paso Electric
El Paso Electric is an Electric utility that provides electricity to western Texas and southern New Mexico. Its service area covers an area from Van Horn, Texas in the east and goes west to Luna, New Mexico and from the United States-Mexico border north to Holloman Air Force Base...
7%. The station is cooled using water from Morgan Lake, which is man-made and is replenished by about 28 million gallons of water each day from the San Juan River. The plant burns sub-bituminous coal
Sub-bituminous coal
Sub-bituminous coal is a type of coal whose properties range from those of lignite to those of bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation.- Properties:...
delivered from the nearby Navajo Coal Mine by the Navajo Mine Railroad
Navajo Mine Railroad
Navajo Mine Railroad operates 14 miles of track between the Four Corners Generating Station and BHP Billiton's Navajo Coal Mine.-Route:From the Navajo Mine to the Four Corners Generating Station that is located 25 miles west of Farmington, New Mexico....
.
History
The Four Corners Generating Station was constructed on property that was leased from the Navajo Nation in a renegotiated agreement that will expire in 2041. Unit 1 and Unit 2 were completed in 1963, Unit 3 was completed in 1964, Unit 4 was completed in 1969, and Unit 5 was completed in 1970.In 1975, New Mexico enacted a tax on the generation of electricity and an in-state credit such that only electricity exported out-of-state was subject to the tax. Objections to this tax led to two United States Supreme Court cases. In Arizona v. New Mexico
Arizona v. New Mexico
Arizona v. New Mexico, 425 U.S. 794 , is an opinion from the United States Supreme Court which denied a motion from the State of Arizona seeking authorization to file suit against the State of New Mexico by invoking the original jurisdiction of the court.-Background:Most of the electricity...
(1976), on a motion seeking to invoke the original jurisdiction
Original jurisdiction
The original jurisdiction of a court is the power to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to appellate jurisdiction, when a court has the power to review a lower court's decision.-France:...
of the Supreme Court, the court initially decided not to be involved and denied the motion, leaving the matter to the state court. The owners of Four Corners filed an action in state court to declare the tax invalid, leading to the United States Supreme Court decision Arizona Public Service Co. v. Snead
Arizona Public Service Co. v. Snead
Arizona Public Service Co. v. Snead, 441 U.S. 141 , is a United States Supreme Court decision which held that a New Mexico tax on the generation of electricity was invalid under the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution.-Background:...
(1979), which held that the tax violated the Supremacy Clause
Supremacy Clause
Article VI, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution, known as the Supremacy Clause, establishes the U.S. Constitution, U.S. Treaties, and Federal Statutes as "the supreme law of the land." The text decrees these to be the highest form of law in the U.S...
of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
In November 2010, APS announced that it would purchase the SCE share of Units 4 and 5, add air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
control systems to these units, and shutdown Units 1, 2, and 3. Following the shutdown of Units 1 through 3, the capacity of Four Corners will be 1,540 megawatts. This proposed transaction is being reviewed by various regulatory authorities and should close in the last half of 2012.