At least two of the reported seven coal plants cited by some environmental groups as being granted EPA exemptions by the Trump administration no longer use coal. And a third is in the process of abandoning its use.
One is the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant in Lawton and the other is the soon-to-be defunct Michelin tire plant in Ardmore.
Goodyear officials explained to Hilliary Communications that they were looking into the claims after some environmental organizations filed suit claiming seven coal plants in Oklahoma were exempted. The Goodyear plant has been getting its power for several years from Public Service Company of Oklahoma.
In citing the Goodyear plant site on an accompanying map, the Environmental Defense Fund, one of the environmental groups that filed suit over the exemptions, claimed it was among those granted exemptions.
The EDF also pointed to the Michelin Tire plant in Ardmore but the plant is closing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released at list of operators and their plants.
Among them were: Western Farmers Electric Cooperative
i. Affected Facility/Source: Hugo Generating Station HUUNIT 1 and Oklahoma Gas and Electric
a. Affected Facility/Source:
a. Sooner Unit 1;
b. Sooner Unit 2;
c. Muskogee Unit 6;
d. River Valley Common Stack CS 1
A Grand River Dam Authority project was also cited on the EDF map but the GRDA started replacing its last coal-fired unit in Choteau two years ago as it switched from coal to natural gas. The $410 million project was reported by The Frontier in 2023.