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Tri-State selects transition leader for Unit 1 closer

Craig Daily Press Staff Report
Craig Station, Colorado's second largest coal-fired power plant, will have one of its three generating stations retired by 2025 after an agreement with regulatory administrations and conservation groups.
file photo

A transition leader has been selected to manage the retirement of Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association’s Craig Station Unit 1, Nucla Station and New Horizon Mine.

Rick Thompson, Tri-State’s senior manager for transmission land rights and permitting, will lead transition teams that plan to work with affected employees and local communities as retirement approaches.

To be clear, Rich Thompson is manager of Craig Station, and Rick Thompson is a different person.



“Selecting (Thompson) as our transition manager is a meaningful step forward to fulfill our commitment to our employees and the communities affected by the retirements,” Tri-State CEO Mike McInnes said in a statement. “(Thompson) will report directly to me and be responsible for developing a transition plan and serving as a liaison between the employees, community and other stakeholders.”

According to a news release from Tri-State, Thompson will settle into his new role and begin meeting with employees and community members in the coming weeks.



“Even though we have a long lead time before the retirements, there is much work to be done,” Thompson said in statement.

In September, Tri-State and the other owners of Unit 1 announced the generating unit will be retired by Dec. 31, 2025, and that Nucla Station will be retired by Dec. 31, 2022. New Horizon Mine, which supplies coal to Nucla Station, will also retire and will shift from production to reclamation efforts in the near future, states a news release from Tri-State.


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