The land leased for the Navajo Generating Station by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and five utilities has been returned to the Navajo Nation after 55 years.
The 2,250-megawatt plant opened in the 1970s and provided power to pump Colorado River water to the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.
It was shuttered in 2019as coal became less economical for power generation in favor of renewables and natural gas. The decommissioning process began in 2020.
The return of the land to the Navajo Nation marks the official end of the plant.
Only a few of the former buildings remain. SRP will continue to monitor deep wells at the site for 35 years.
An official turnover of the lease site will occur in about 120 days once the final paperwork is completed.
A spokesperson for the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice-President says land reclamation has begun and the tribe must now determine what they will do with what’s left.