Sean Havorka doesn’t sugarcoat the truth for his students.
Over the last school year, Havorka has coached the Moffat County High School Robotics team — better known as MoCo Robo —in Craig, Colorado. The volunteer gig follows his day job as a blast engineer at a coal mine outside town. He always pushes his students to pursue careers in science and technology, but he draws the line at his own industry.
“I lot of them say, ‘I want to go work in the mine,’” he said. “I am like, ‘Probably not an option.’”
The reason it’s not an option is a recent announcement from the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. In January, the Westminster-based power provider said it would close all of its coal-fired power plants and mines in Colorado and New Mexico by 2030. The move follows pressure from state regulators and the utility’s own co-op members, which have both pushed for a faster transition to renewable energy.
The news sent shockwaves through the Yampa River Valley. The region is home to Steamboat Springs — a beloved ski town with a thriving tourism industry — but towns along the Yampa River still rely on coal. The industry provides hundreds of jobs and a massive share of the tax revenue to local and county governments.
Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
The community in Craig, about 50 miles west of Steamboat Springs, isn’t backing down from the challenge. It’s racing to reinvent itself.
“There’s been talks for a while about the viability of coal in Colorado,” said Jeff Comstock, director of the Natural Resources Department for Moffat County. “When it becomes official, it hits homes a little bit more.”
Comstock knows the transition away from coal won’t be easy. A photograph of Craig Station, the Tri-State power plant in town, hangs on his wall next to a detailed county map. It includes the Trapper Mine and the Colowyo Mine, both of which supply coal to the plant. Added together, Comstock said those properties represent 46 percent of the county’s total assessed value. When they close, he expects it will take a serious hit.
“You’ve got law enforcement. You’ve got social services. You’ve got fire departments,” he said. “There will be ripple down effects.”
Tri-State plans to finance a solar project in the county to replace some of the lost revenue. The county is also working with the City of Craig to build a smaller solar facility to add some property value. Comstock said those projects will soften the blow when the coal industry leaves, but won’t get anywhere close to replacing its economic impact.
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March 05, 2020 at 06:03PM
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Craig, Colorado Believes In Coal. Now It Needs A Plan To Reinvent Itself - Colorado Public Radio
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