The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power intends to decrease its share of coal-fired energy from Utah. In addition, unlike its muni neighbors, it will not renew its coal-power contract prior to enactment of a state law setting energy supply emissions limits. LADWP commissioner Mary Nichols announced November 7 that renewing the department's power contract with the coal-fired Intermountain Power Project at this time would be "premature." The agreement for more than 1,100 MW, representing most of its supplies, does not expire until 2027. The city utility in Burbank renewed its coal deal last month, and Pasadena is expected to soon renew its agreement with Intermountain. Those existing deals also run until 2027. The renewals outraged clean air advocates because they skirt SB 1368 by Senate president pro tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), which takes effect January 1 (Circuit, November 3, 2006). "The goal of this commission and the city is to move beyond coal and include a substantial amount of renewables," said Nichols during an LADWP commission meeting. LADWP - which will be forced to take less power from the Utah plant within months - will concentrate on energy efficiency, renewable power, and repowering natural gas units in Los Angeles, as outlined in its Draft 2006 Integrated Resource Plan. Under its contract, the department takes 44.6 percent of the power from the 1,900 MW two-unit coal plant. In addition, it has been able to purchase another 279 MW because local Utah utilities have not needed that energy, the plan said. But that is about to change. Beginning next year, local utilities in Utah will begin buying 279 MW of power to meet their load growth. The department is exploring numerous renewable energy projects to fill in the supply void, noted Nichols. One proposal under discussion is a 100 MW wind power facility at Aubrey Cliffs in Arizona on Navajo land. The Navajo Nation wants to lease land there to the department for not less than 20 years to construct a wind farm, Joe Shirley, Navajo Nation president, said in a statement delivered to the LADWP commission. Under the proposed deal, the Navajo Nation would get 15 MW of wind power to either use itself or sell, or 15 percent of the revenue from the project, according to Shirley. The wind power project would help the Navajo Nation recoup its loss of revenue from coal mining after the closure of the coal-fired Mojave Generating Station in Laughlin, Nevada, this year, Shirley said. Coal mined on Navajo land was transported through a slurry pipeline to the plant until Southern California Edison, the department, and other operating partners closed it down in the face of high environmental cleanup costs (Circuit, Jan. 7, 2006). LADWP took 10 percent of the power from the 1,580 MW plant. The draft resource plan, which outlines the department's intended shift away from coal power, is expected to be adopted by the muni's commission in final form in the months ahead. - William J. Kelly