Grand Canyon Trust

The Navajo Generating Station (NGS) is a coal-fired power plant located on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona. It is one of the largest and most polluting coal plants in the West, and should soon be nearing the end of its 50 year life cycle. The plant, along with the associated Peabody coal mine at Black Mesa employs approximately 700 Navajo people and returns nearly $30 million in royalty and other payments to the tribe. While the coal operations employ very few Hopi people, it does provide them with about $12 million in annual royalty payments for the coal mined in the region. While shutting down the Navajo Generating Station, and other coal plants located near or on Navajo tribal land is an important step in moving the western power grid away from coal-dependence, it will have economic consequences for these two tribes, which are among the poorest communities in the United States. The purpose of this grant is to help develop a process that will explore potential transitional and economic development options for the Navajo Nation as it prepares for the lost income and royalties associated with the coal economy that exists today.