Utah Advocates Call for Air Agency to Hold Strong on Coal Plant Shutdown Date in Latest Regional Haze Plan

Utah's air quality agency held a public hearing on a revised plan for cutting haze pollution, and it has removed a previously set deadline requiring the coal-fired units at the Intermountain Power Plant to shut down by the end of 2027. The plan also skips the strongest available pollution controls for that plant. Environmental and parks groups spoke out against the change, arguing it would let a major polluter keep running with no modern controls in place.

This plant, along with two other Utah coal plants, is among the country's worst sources of regional haze, the pollution that dims scenic views at national parks like Zion, Arches, Canyonlands, and even Yosemite in California. Most of the power the plant once generated was sold to buyers in California under contracts that have already ended, but state lawmakers passed a bill last year directing officials to look at keeping the coal units running, reportedly with interest now coming from data centers.

For homeowners, this story is not about a rebate or a home upgrade you can act on. It is a reminder that regional air quality and the pace of retiring old coal plants remain contested at the state level, which can affect local air pollution levels and the broader push toward cleaner electricity in the region. The federal EPA had already flagged Utah's haze plan as inadequate in 2024, and this revision is now open for public comment before any final decision is made.