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Dooda Desert Rock is a group of Navajo activists that was formed to prevent a new coal-fired power plant near Farmington, New Mexico. Dooda Desert Rock’s long-term goal is to lay the groundwork for the Navajo Nation to embrace clean, alternative energy development, rather than contributing to global warming. Their short-term goal is to build community support to halt the building of the Desert Rock coal-fired power plant or other environmentally detrimental projects.

There are more than 375,000 Navajo, and a few hundred jobs from a dirty coal-powered energy plant will not make a dent in the overall employment needs of the community - and companies like Desert Rock Energy Project are not going to hire Navajo, despite their claims.

The benefits of alternative energy are that the Navajo Nation will have ongoing jobs, a clean environment and be working towards sustainable development of our personal and environmental resources. The coal plant is being touted as a source of immediate jobs and income, but in the long run it will cost us our health through poisoned air and groundwater – and ultimately it will cost us our lives. 

The Desert Rock Energy Project is a proposed 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant to be built on Navajo Nation land near Farmington, New Mexico, by Sithe Global, LLC, Desert Rock Energy Company LLC and Dine’ Power Authority.  The plant would emit over 12 million tons of carbon dioxide, ozone, mercury and other pollutants into the air each year. The Navajo Nation is already plagued by pollution produced from the two existing coal-fired power plants in the area, which are among the dirtiest in the country.

Dooda Desert Rock President, Elouise Brown, is continuing to raise public awareness and to educate Navajo Communities about the dangers of allowing the construction of this coal plant to move forward.