STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative David Marshall and 22 fellow members of the Arizona House and Senate Republican majorities have sent a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him to use his full authority to stop the retirement of coal-fired power plants in Arizona and support the reactivation of those already shut down. A copy of the letter is attached and available here.

“Coal has powered this state for decades and provided jobs for Arizona families,” said Representative Marshall. “The federal government turned its back on towns like Joseph City and Page, forcing needless closures through bureaucratic red tape and overregulation. Now, we have a President and an administration that understands the importance of reliable baseload power and rural communities. We’re ready to work with them to turn the lights back on. These plants are essential to maintaining grid stability as demand grows from data centers, AI, and resurgent U.S. manufacturing. The need for dispatchable energy has never been greater.”

The lawmakers’ request aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Orders 14154 and 14156, which declare a national energy emergency and direct the federal government to unleash domestic energy production, including coal. Arizona Republicans urge immediate action to preserve the remaining units at the Cholla Power Plant near Joseph City and to revive generation at sites like the Navajo Generating Station near Page, which closed in 2019.

The closure of these coal-fired power plants has hurt northern and eastern Arizona communities—causing big job losses, declining school enrollment, and falling local revenues. These coal facilities long served as economic engines for working-class families and rural schools, which now face an uncertain future.

“The war on coal has devastated northern Arizona,” said Representative Marshall. “Radical environmental groups shut down the timber industry, causing catastrophic wildfires. Now we face a full-scale assault as massive wind turbines threaten to scar land in northern Arizona. I won’t let them do the same to coal—we must fight to keep these communities alive. With these executive orders in place, now is the time to reverse course and restore power and prosperity to rural Arizona.”

David Marshall is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 7, which includes Pinal, Gila, Coconino, and Navajo Counties. He also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Public Safety & Law Enforcement. Follow him on X at @DaveMarshallAZ.