Conservationists pressing for the expedited closure of a big coal-fired power plant in northern Nevada say the state's air quality isn't the only thing that would benefit from the move.
The Sierra Club and its Beyond Coal Campaign released an economic analysis Friday they say shows NV Energy ratepayers would save hundreds of millions of dollars if the scheduled closure of the North Valmy (VAHL'-mee) coal plant was moved up from 2025 to 2019.
Sierra Club lawyer Travis Ritchie says ratepayers are losing money every hour that the 522-megawatt plant continues to operate east of Winnemucca, about 200 miles from Reno.
He says the new study documents the plant's growing inefficiency at a time new sources of cheaper, renewable energy are coming on line, and transmission capabilities continue to expand.