Tolk Station
| Part of the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related categories: |
| Part of the Global Coal Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related coal trackers: |
Tolk Station is an operating power station of at least 1136-megawatts (MW) in Muleshoe, Lamb, Texas, United States with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
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) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- GT, 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 | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT | Pre-construction[1][2] | fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: diesel[1][2] | 1325[1][3][2] | gas turbine[1][3][2] | 2028 (planned)[4] | – | Siemens Energy: SGT6-5000F[2][3] | no |
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: subbituminous[5] | 568 | subcritical | 1982 | 2029 (planned)[6] | – | no |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: subbituminous[5] | 568 | subcritical | 1985 | 2029 (planned)[6] | – | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| GT | Southwestern Public Service Co [100%] | Xcel Energy Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 1 | Southwestern Public Service Co [100%] | Xcel Energy Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Southwestern Public Service Co [100%] | Xcel Energy Inc [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic
Impacts
Potential emissions and details on the project's status and permit applications can be viewed on Oil and Gas Watch page here.
The Oil and Gas Watch database, created by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), is a free, public-facing tool designed to track the rapid expansion of fossil fuel and petrochemical infrastructure in the United States. Oil and Gas Watch maps new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects across the country and monitors each project’s construction status so the public can stay informed about major oil and gas developments being proposed in their communities. We track key environmental approvals companies must obtain before starting construction or operations and provide access to thousands of government records and permits unearthed by our analysts.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
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.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9][10]
In May 2026, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission approved SPS’s request to delay the retirement of coal units at Tolk to March 2029.[11]
Emissions Data
- 2024 Gross Load (MWh): 2,145,072[12]
- 2024 SO2 Mass (short tons): 5,244[12]
- 2024 CO2 Mass (short tons): 2,166,647[12]
- 2024 NOx Mass (short tons): 1,695[12]
- 2023 Mercury emissions (Hg, lb): 24.6[13][14]
Impacts
Potential emissions and details on the project's status and permit applications can be viewed on Oil and Gas Watch page here.
The Oil and Gas Watch database, created by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), is a free, public-facing tool designed to track the rapid expansion of fossil fuel and petrochemical infrastructure in the United States. Oil and Gas Watch maps new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects across the country and monitors each project’s construction status so the public can stay informed about major oil and gas developments being proposed in their communities. We track key environmental approvals companies must obtain before starting construction or operations and provide access to thousands of government records and permits unearthed by our analysts.
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.[15] 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.[16]
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 1.2 1.3 (PDF) https://www.tceq.texas.gov/assets/public/permitting/air/reports/applications/401086-ac.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 https://ukozvhzgrcnkcatjqfoo.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/03-00-air-construction/AIR_NSR_AirPermits-401086_Permits_Public_20260610_Technical_Review_8489052__d4ff9c99.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.siemens-energy.com/us/en/home/press-releases/Siemens-Energy-to-supply-ten-gas-turbines-to-Xcel-Energy.html.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "New Mexico approves early closure agreement for Xcel's coal-fired Tolk power plant". Utility Dive. 2023-10-25. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-mexico-regulators-approve-sps-9b-gas-heavy-resource-plan/820978/.
{{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
- ↑ “New Mexico regulators approve SPS’ $9B, gas-heavy resource plan,” Utility Dive, May 26, 2026
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 EIA (2024). "Clean Air Markets Program Data (CAMD)". Retrieved 2025-02-20.
- ↑ Clean Air and Power Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (February 2024). "Annual data 2022 vs. 2023". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ Toxics Release Inventory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (October 2024). "2023 Basic Plus Data". Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ↑ "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 interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
