FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) — GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce says if he is elected he will work to prevent the closure of coal-fired power plants in the Four Corners area.

The Daily Times of Farmington, New Mexico, reports the Hobbs Republican told an audience last week he would seek to find potential buyers for the San Juan Generating Station and other coal-fired power plants.

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The San Juan Generating Station is primarily owned by the Public Service Company of New Mexico, which has announced plans to shutter the power plant in 2022.

Those plans have local leaders worried about the economic impact of closing the plant, including the loss of jobs and tax revenue.

Pearce, a congressman in New Mexico’s southern district, is facing Democratic Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham in November in the governor’s race.

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Information from: The Daily Times, http://www.daily-times.com