Energy Transition near Kirtland, NM

From coal combustion to solar generation on Navajo land in the high desert.

This series traces the changing energy landscape near Kirtland, New Mexico, on land owned by the Navajo Nation. The first image, taken in 2007, shows the coal-fired power plant once operated by Public Service Company of New Mexico. Built in the 1970s, the plant suffered an explosion on July 7, 1977, at 7:07 a.m., which permanently shut down one of its generating units. The facility was later acquired by PacifiCorp, whose grid west of the Rockies remains among the least renewable in the United States. Coal for this and a nearby plant—operated by Arizona Public Service across the range—has long been mined from Navajo lands, generating revenue for the tribe. The following photos document the decommissioning and demolition of the original facility, and a final image looks toward a solar array rising on the same desert plain. Together, they record a slow transition from fossil fuel dependence to renewable generation across the region.