Tribal power plant could have big impact

Monday, Sept. 25, 2000 | 11:37 a.m.

Moapa Paiute Calvin Meyers knows what it's like to grow up without running water or electricity, so he sees great opportunity in a new power project on the reservation that could be under construction within a year.

Raised on the Moapa Indian Reservation 45 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Meyers said the roughly 300-member tribe could use the estimated $200 million in expected revenue over 30 years from a proposed 760-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant. Calpine Corp. of San Jose wants to build the Crystal Power Plant.

"The project would have a big impact on our lives, not only today, but tomorrow," Meyers said during a hearing last week at the North Las Vegas Airport.

Income from the power sold to Las Vegas, California or Arizona could help educate young Paiutes, improve housing and replace the 30-year-old tribal hall that has no modern computer equipment, Meyer said.

"We wouldn't do it if it was bad," Meyer said. "We have to think of the people who come after us. We have to think about the future."

First, the tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the energy company have to review a lengthy list of potential impacts from building and operating the plant in desert landscape that has scarce water supply, said Ken McDonald of PBS&J, a consulting firm that is helping to study the environment.

The project would be an economic benefit to the tribe, McDonald said at the hearing.

To cool the three gas and one steam turbines proposed, the tribe is seeking the state engineer's permission to use 7,000 acre feet of ground water a year, Calpine project manager John Doyle said.

It would take roughly 300 workers to build the plant, and Calpine will have to look at the impacts of those workers commuting to work on Interstate 15, he said.

Hot gases created in the turbines will be recovered to make even more energy, Doyle said. Ground water will be used to help condense the steam back to water.

Darryl Ohte, another Paiute band member, said an important issue is how efficiently the plant will operate using available water.

So the ground water supply, potential pollution releases into the air and sludge from cooling ponds are some of the major environmental issues the trio of agencies needs to address, McDonald said.

Written public comments are due Oct. 2, submitted to the BIA office in St. George, Utah, or Phoenix, Ariz.