Mission

Located at the heart of the energy transition in America, the Four Corners region surrounding the San Juan River is strewn with oil and gas development and home to two of the largest coal-fired power plants in the United States: the Four Corners Power Plant and the San Juan Generating Station (Currently decommissioned and mid de-construction). Dangerous contaminants from these power plants, thousands of coal bed methane wells, and coal-combustion waste ridden with mercury, selenium and other deadly toxins are a major source of pollution in the San Juan River. As a tributary to the Colorado River, the San Juan supplies drinking water to tens of millions of people - from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico to Utah to Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico.

Our flight covered these sources of historic and future pollution, while highlighting new solar energy development and the Shiprock ACEC. These topics could not be more relevant as the San Juan Generating Station is currently being removed, freeing up space, labor and resources for solar, wind, and more. Much of the land already affected by previous extraction has especially high potential for solar development, and would speed up the energy transition where it is most needed.

We flew the San Juan Citizen Alliance, local Diné Tribal members, and the media to give an overview of this transitional landscape. We will continue to fly here regularly, as the landscape rapidly changes in response to the West’s resource needs. There are equal parts danger and potential for this region, and sound management will be critical to ensure all communities and ecosystems are respected as the landscape continues to provide energy for the West.

Click for photos, geo-referenced photos, or videos from the flight.