Senator Rogers Applauds Cholla Plant Revival as Win for Rural Communities, Jobs, Energy Security

ARIZONA, July 2 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 2, 2026

PHOENIX, ARIZONA—Senator Wendy Rogers is applauding Arizona Public Service's announcement that it will convert two units at the Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City to natural gas, calling the project a major win for northeastern Arizona that will create jobs, strengthen the state's electric grid, and secure a new future for one of Arizona's longtime power plants.

The announcement comes after years of federal environmental regulations and anti-coal policies under the Obama and Biden administrations led to the retirement of Cholla's coal operations. The conversion will repurpose the existing facility, preserve critical infrastructure, and deliver approximately 380 megawatts of reliable, around-the-clock electricity, enough to power roughly 61,000 Arizona homes.

"This is tremendous news for the hardworking families and communities I represent," said Senator Rogers. "Radical left administrations spent years waging a war on reliable American energy that cost rural Arizona jobs and forced dependable coal plants like Cholla into retirement. President Trump's America First energy policies are helping turn the tide by putting reliable, affordable domestic energy back at the center of our nation's priorities. Instead of letting Cholla become another abandoned power plant, APS is giving it a second life. This project will create hundreds of construction jobs, support dozens of permanent positions for families in Joseph City, Holbrook, and throughout Navajo County, strengthen Arizona's electric grid, and provide the dependable, affordable power our growing state needs. It proves we don’t have to choose between economic growth and energy reliability. We can, and should, have both."

Construction is expected to begin in 2028, with the converted units scheduled to begin operating in 2029. By repurposing existing infrastructure and transmission lines, the project strengthens Arizona's diverse energy portfolio while helping meet the state’s growing demand for reliable electricity.

"Cholla has been an important part of the communities of Joseph City, Holbrook, Navajo County and northeastern Arizona for decades and has been foundational to Arizona’s energy grid," said Johnny Penrod, APS Vice President of Generation. "Repurposing the Cholla Power Plant for natural gas allows us to build on that legacy – supporting reliable, affordable energy for our customers while continuing to invest in the communities who have long supported this plant."

APS will continue engineering, permitting, and community outreach before construction begins. The utility serves approximately 1.5 million homes and businesses across 11 Arizona counties.

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For more information, contact:

Kim Quintero

Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus

kquintero@azleg.gov

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