Utah’s largest coal plant just went dark, but a state law is forcing it to stay plugged in like a zombie appliance. (Clean Technica)
The shutdown: The massive Intermountain Power Project (IPP) quietly ceased coal operations the day before Thanksgiving after its biggest customer, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), officially pulled out.
The standoff: Despite the shutdown, the plant cannot be decommissioned because the Utah Legislature passed a law blocking the disconnection of its switchyard and mandating the state search for a new buyer to keep the coal firing—though no serious offers have materialized yet.
The pivot: While the coal units sit idle, the site is already transitioning to "IPP Renewed," a new facility that will burn a mix of natural gas and green hydrogen stored in a massive underground salt dome.