TEP Plans Springerville Coal-to-Gas Repower by 2030, Eagar Open House

Tucson Electric Power has formalized plans to repower two coal-fired units at the Springerville Generating Station to run on natural gas by 2030, a project TEP says will maintain reliable, affordable service and support local employment. Apache County residents turned out to an Eagar public open house Tuesday evening to review outreach materials, ask questions and learn how to take part in regulatory steps.

TEP’s project page outlines expected benefits including cost-effective capacity and a reduction in the units’ CO2 rate of approximately 40 percent. Company materials emphasize support for local economies and workforce retention as key goals of the conversion. The open house took place at Round Valley High School auditorium in Eagar and was one of several public participation opportunities TEP is holding as it moves through permitting and approval processes.

The repower is subject to regulatory review. TEP has said it will request amendments to the plant’s Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and will pursue revisions to air and aquifer permits as needed. Those filings launch formal comment periods and technical review by state and local agencies, making regulatory milestones the next meaningful checkpoints for the project. TEP’s project page includes outreach materials, FAQs, a press release, infographics and a project timeline for residents who want details.

For Apache County, the immediate local impacts are practical: the conversions could preserve jobs tied to plant operations and supply chains while lowering the emissions intensity of a major regional generator. For ratepayers and local governments the economics matter too; TEP frames the effort as a way to deliver capacity at lower cost than continuing coal operations. At the same time the shift to gas brings market exposure to natural gas prices and raises longer-term questions about how the plant will fit into state and regional decarbonization plans after 2030.

Policy implications extend beyond the plant footprint. Amending the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and adjusting air and aquifer permits will put state environmental standards and water management considerations at the center of public review. The repower reflects a broader trend in the electric industry toward using natural gas as a transitional fuel while utilities weigh investments in renewables, storage and grid flexibility.

Residents who want to follow the process or submit comments can use the project comment form on TEP’s Springerville repower page, email SGSrepower@tep.com, or call 520-917-6647. With construction and permitting slated over the rest of the decade, the repower will be a steady feature of local economic and environmental discussions in Apache County through 2030.