Kemmerer City Administrator Brian Muir says due diligence is happening on potential buyers for the Naughton Coal Power Plant in keeping with House Bill 200 that passed last year.

The legislation requires Rocky Mountain Power, the current owner of the coal plant, to try and find potential buyers before closing down Naughton Unit 1 and 2 entirely. He says a couple of companies, such as Glenrock, have expressed interest in joining forces to purchase it.

“We’re doing everything in our power here to help our coal-fired energy industry, to preserve that,” Muir said. “And, possibly to even expand it.”

He says even if those who have expressed interest do not purchase it, there may still be a need for these companies to buy what he called “zero carbon energy” but with a coal classification.

“Convert the coal into different the energy into forms of carbon-free forms of energy,” Muir said. “You can create blue hydrogen. You can convert that blue hydrogen into blue ammonia.”

He also says there is one company that is considering using coal to convert it into a fertilizer type of product.

He says there is even legislation being considered in the current session to strengthen H.B. 200.

“Trying, again, to preserve our coal industry and our coal industry can be green,” Muir said. “Or another way to say it is it can be carbon-free.”

He says the technology is available to accomplish these goals and so there needs to be a change in view on coal-fired plants. He says there is some interest in coal that the city remains excited about.