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It made its plan official December 18 by notifying operating owners the Arizona Public Service (APS). NTEC already owns the Navajo mine, which supplies coal to the Four Corners facility near Farmington, New Mexico. It pur- chased the operation in 2013. "This acquisition would enable NTEC to bolster Navajo Energy security and to be at the forefront of innovation and progress," Board Chairman Steve Gundersen said. "We understand the political climate regarding coal, so we view it as a short window to gain as much strength as we can to diversify our company's energy portfolio," spokesman Erny Zah added. NTEC's stake equates to about 107 megawatts of the plant's output. The interest it has sought was previously held by El Paso Electric Co., which said earlier this year that it was selling its stake and divesting from coal generation by next year, accord- ing to an Associated Press report. NTEC's purchase is pending approval and is expected to close by next July. CONSOL Sells Emery Mine Officials for CONSOL Energy have confirmed reports that it has sold its Emery underground operations in Utah. While he declined to detail the identity of the buyer or any financial terms, company spokesperson Brian Aiello said the operation and about 30 million tons of reserves — officially known as the Hidden Valley reserves — are no longer part of the Pennsylvania-based producer's portfolio. Emery, located in Price, about 110 miles from Salt Lake City, was part of Consolidation Coal and was owned in its entirety by CONSOL since 1993, when it purchased the operation from its partner in a joint venture. The company idled the operation in October 2010; at that time, it did not indicate any future reopen- ing plans. It closed its Mine 84 at the same time. Court Date Set for Murray Case Against EPA A mid-2016 date has been set for a federal judge to hear a case that coal operator Robert Murray has brought against U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy. According to the Associated Press, U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey will preside over the trial set to begin July 19 in the Northern District of West Virginia Courthouse in Wheeling. Bailey also has reportedly reset some deadlines in the case time- line per requests by both sides. Murray's lawsuit, filed earlier this year, contends that McCarthy and the EPA have not met their analyses obligations for its regulations outlined in the Clean Air Act. San Juan Plant to Retire Units The San Juan Generating Station (SJGS) will close two of its four coal-fired units by the end of 2017, a move that will help owner PNM Resources' Public Service Co. of New Mexico enter the future with a compliant facility. PNM announced it received approval from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) to retire both Unit 2 and Unit 3 after voting 4-1 to approve the agency's general counsel's order from a November 16 hearing. The initial agree- ment was signed in August but was subject to that order. While the approval allows for the retirements, it also means that SJGS can now install emissions control technology on the remaining units as well as other benefits to address Clean Air Act compliance. Specifically, it will install selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) equipment, reduce water use and seven differ- ent emissions, including carbon, at the facility by about half. The entire state will also be able to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan, officials said. "The record for this case over the last two years has demon- strated our continued commitment to customers to provide reliable, affordable and environmentally sustainable power," PNM Chairman, President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn said. "This plan not only represents the least-cost alternative for compliance with federal environmental regulations, but also protects the economy of the Four Corners region and the state." Vincent-Collawn noted that the facility was originally look- ing at a different future due to a federally mandated plan that, with implementation, would reduce regional haze but also come with burdensome costs. "The agreement approved today is the result of substantial work done by many parties," Vincent-Collawn said. "I appreciate the col- laborative effort that brought forth the best solution to a complex problem, along with the tenacity of those parties to continue to work on this solution during the course of the two years that it took to gain approval." Atlantic Coal to Delist, Prepping for Acquisition London Stock Exchange (AIM)-listed anthracite miner Atlantic Coal has announced a suspension of its shares trading on the exchange as it eyes the takeover of one of its competitors. The company said December 21 that, should it put its acquisi- tion of another still-unidentified Pennsylvania anthracite miner into motion, it could sizably increase its reserve portfolio. It has projected the transaction to be worth about $25 million and said it will be classified as a reverse takeover under AIM outlines. Atlantic currently operates one U.S. complex, the Stockton operation in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania. "For Atlantic Coal to continue operations with only one active mine is not in the company's best interests," officials said. "Atlantic Coal will therefore need to acquire significant new anthracite min- ing assets in order to generate value for shareholders." Post-close of the proposed deal, the resulting combined company would have an aggregate reserve of 9 million tons of anthracite and operate three mines and two primary processing plants along with a secondary processing plant. Shareholders will need to approve the listing cancellation as well as the company's subsequent name change to Atlantic Carbon Group. That general meeting was scheduled for January 11. Coal Finance Groups Cut Industry Funding Two major coal financing groups, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, reportedly stepped back from their support of coal, issu- ing renewed statements on industry funding the same time the major U.N. climate conference COP21 was under way in Paris late last year. n e w s c o n t i n u e d January 2016 www.coalage.com 15