SWEPCO outlines plans for handling retirement of Texas plants

Southwestern Electric Power Co.’s (SWEPCO) outlined a plan to retire the H.W. Pirkey Power Plant in Hallsville, Texas, in 2023, and ceasing coal operations at the Welsh Power Plant at Pittsburg, Texas, in 2028.

SWEPCO – which serves more than 543,000 customers in parts of Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas — will file its compliance plans this month for compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule. The rule applies to the handling and storage of coal ash at each facility.

SWEPCO owns 580 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity at Pirkey and 1,053 MW at Welsh.

“Our Pirkey and Welsh employees have provided decades of safe and reliable service to SWEPCO customers, which will continue until the transition is complete,” Malcolm Smoak, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer, said. “We are committed to working with our employees, local leaders, and our communities in East Texas to help them manage these transitions.”

SWEPCO – a subsidiary of American Electric Power — will discuss transition options with affected employees, including severance, educational and retraining resources, and other potential job opportunities at SWEPCO and AEP.

“In making these difficult decisions, we have worked to balance the remaining life and economic viability of each of our coal-fueled generating units with other options for delivering power, including renewable energy and natural gas, in a resource mix that benefits our customers and the environment,” Smoak said.

SWEPCO will continue to evaluate options for the Welsh Plant, which will cease operations in 2028.