Tolk Station
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Tolk Station is an operating power station of at least 1136-megawatts (MW) in Muleshoe, Lamb, Texas, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Tolk Station | Muleshoe, Lamb, Texas, United States | 34.185119, -102.569306 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: 34.185119, -102.569306
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: subbituminous | 568 | subcritical | 1982 | 2028 (planned)[1] |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: subbituminous | 568 | subcritical | 1985 | 2028 (planned)[1] |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Southwestern Public Service Co [100%] | Xcel Energy Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Southwestern Public Service Co [100%] | Xcel Energy Inc [100.0%] |
Background
Tolk Station was commissioned in 1982 by Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), a subsidiary of Xcel Energy. The power station serves customers in Texas and New Mexico.[2]
Retirement plans
In 2020, the Sierra Club agreed with SPS to close the plant by the end of 2032 and assess the option of an earlier retirement based on the power station's operating costs and its significant role in depleting the Ogallala Aquifer.[3]
In October 2023, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission voted in favor of an agreement with SPS to bring forward the closure of Tolk Station from 2032 to 2028. The agreement also required SPS to only operate the plant when it economically benefits customers.[4][5]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 7,124,264 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions: 20,641 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions: 9,478 tons
- 2005 Mercury Emissions: 252 lb.
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Tolk Station
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[6] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[7]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Tolk Station
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 15 | $110,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 23 | $2,600,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 260 | $14,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 11 | $260,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 9 | $4,200,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 15 | $6,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed February 2011
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125130331/https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-mexico-regulators-finalize-closure-xcel-energy-coal-fired-tolk-power-plant/697727/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Top Plant: Tolk Station, Earth, Texas," Power Magazine, October 1, 2020
- ↑ "Xcel Reaffirms Commitment to Retire Tolk Coal Plant in Texas by 2032 in Agreement with Sierra Club," Sierra Club, May 20, 2020
- ↑ "New Mexico approves early closure agreement for Xcel’s coal-fired Tolk power plant," Utility Dive, October 25, 2023
- ↑ "Texas Coal Plant Speeds Up Retirement, Saving Ogallala Water Resources," Sierra Club, October 23, 2023
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
