UNDERWOOD, N.D. -- North Dakota leaders want to find a new owner for the state's largest coal-fired power plant, which is slated to close in 2022. But environmental groups say that's the wrong way to go.

Minnesota-based Great River Energy has announced it will close the Coal Creek Station, citing a difficult marketplace for coal energy. Gov. Doug Bergum called the facility the state's most efficient and updated coal plant and said he'd like to preserve the 260 jobs there.

Gene Wirtz with the Dakota Resource Council said the best way to do that is to set the site up for reclamation, not keep it running.

"I think some of those workers that are doing the mining right now could also speed up the reclamation," Wirtz said. "There's a lot of dirt that has to be moved and a lot of soil to be regenerated, so it produces as much as it did before."

Wirtz estimated reclamation jobs could last for several years. A recent study of a similar debate in Montana, where the Colstrip Power Plant is being phased out, found a robust cleanup there would create hundreds of good-paying jobs and permanently improve local groundwater. Industry observers have said the report resonates with many other communities dependent on aging coal-fired plants.

According to analysis by Reuters, U.S. companies retired or converted roughly 15,000 megawatts of coal power last year - the second-fastest pace on record. Wirtz said the writing is on the wall for these plants.

"Natural gas is so cheap right now, and wind power has gotten cheaper, too," he said. "You can't compete. It's just economics."

The Coal Creek plant began operating in the late 1970s. Wirtz said it's a challenge for the surrounding communities that have to adapt their economies, but he noted these facilities weren't meant to last forever. Some states are working with brokerage firms to redevelop sites once they've been cleaned up.

Nevada clean-energy proponents have launched a new website to help connect Nevadans to energy and cost-saving programs.

One of the nonprofits behind getting SaveEnergyNV.org online was the Nevada Conservation League. Angelyn Tabalba, a consultant for the group, said the free tool aims to streamline the process for folks to find federal, state and utility company programs for which they may qualify.

Some of the Trump administration executive orders have stopped Biden-era funding and investments in clean-energy initiatives, so Tabalba encouraged folks to check out what's still available now.

"These programs are already making a difference for Nevada families, whether those are tax credits to help families install solar and utilize rebates to make their home energy upgrades possible," she said. "The progress is fragile and the same clean-energy investments that are helping lowering costs for families and creating jobs across Nevada are now at risk."

While President Donald Trump has targeted some parts of the Inflation Reduction Act, some Republicans in Congress are urging the administration to leave most of the IRA intact, for the jobs and economic benefits it has brought to local communities.

Tabalba called the SaveEnergyNV website a one-stop shop and said they'll launch a Spanish-language version in the near future.

Will Pregman, loan officer and program manager for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said one of the biggest barriers to making energy-efficiency upgrades is the upfront costs - so tax credits and incentives can help reduce that burden. With summer on the horizon, he said, the new tool can help Nevadans ensure their air conditioning systems are ready.

"We see that demand escalate dramatically in the summer as people's old units start breaking down at inopportune times," he said, "and SaveEnergyNV can help Nevadans be proactive and find a solution to their air conditioning issues now, before they have to scramble in an emergency."

Pregman noted that the first step in lowering energy bills is getting a home energy audit, since all homes are different and will have different issues. For now, Nevadans are still able to claim up to $150 toward the cost of an energy audit thanks to tax credits in the IRA.

Over the past 15 years, West Virginians have been shelling out more of their income each month on electricity bills. Now, as lawmakers continue to push a reliance on coal, with support from the Trump administration, advocates say they are worried about residents' bottom line.

According to federal data, U.S. production of coal has steadily dropped over the past two decades.

Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, said coal is now an expensive choice for producing energy compared with renewable resources. He adds big coal's grip on the state is costing households.

"We have monopolies in West Virginia for our electric utilities, so they should be run in a way that is the most cost effective reducing the bills for West Virginians," he explained.

Residents have seen their average electricity price jump by 90% since the early 2000s, according to Conservation West Virginia. The West Virginia Coal Association argues ramping up coal production will lower consumers' bills.

Last month Appalachian Power, one of the state's largest utilities, asked state regulators to raise rates to make up for operating costs. If approved, residents' bills would increase by around $5 per month. Meanwhile, Pepper noted, grants for energy efficiency and assistance are shrinking, leaving residents with few options.

"The state and federal government could be doing more to help people who are struggling with their electric bills," he continued. "Instead, we've seen a budget come out that actually completely eliminates support that people have had in the past."

More than 60% of Americans support the goal of taking steps for the nation to become carbon neutral by 2050, according to a Pew Research Center survey released last year.

A bipartisan group of current and former elected officials said the continued use of fossil fuels threatens global security and they want funding for climate investments restored.

Rep. Debbie Sariñana, D-Albuquerque, state director of Elected Officials to Protect America, is a member of the bipartisan group Elected Officials to Protect America. At the group's Energy Security Summit Tuesday, she emphasized the importance of provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Sariñana cited the 161 pumpjacks located within a mile of an elementary school adjacent to the oil-producing Permian Basin, exposing kids to cancer-causing chemicals.

"The hardest part of being a legislator is watching on this committee, where they have the representatives from their districts sitting there and they don't do anything, they don't say anything," Sariñana explained. "They don't see it as wrong because money is the most important thing about the Permian Basin."

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has asserted fossil fuels are better for energy security. The Biden administration's laws aimed to invest in domestic energy production while promoting clean energy and represent the federal government's biggest climate investments in history.

Sariñana acknowledged it can be a challenge to advocate for clean alternatives because New Mexico derives a significant portion of its revenues from fossil fuels. At the same time, the state's clean energy portfolio includes solar, geothermal and wind, with the state ranked seventh in the nation in wind generation. She noted funding for almost 1,000 state projects, covering everything from transportation to agriculture and wildfires are at risk.

"All these provisions and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan infrastructure Law and environmental regulations must be restored for the future of our people, for their prosperity and health, and security," Sariñana contended.

An executive order by President Donald Trump April 8 instructed the Department of Justice to eliminate the independent constitutional authority of every state to govern its own climate laws.


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