Our skies have improved! Use the slider tool to compare:

Nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from coal power plants contributes to the brown, hazy skies that once blanketed the Four Corners region. It matters because NOx irritates the lungs, worsens asthma and other respiratory conditions, and reacts in sunlight to form ground-level ozone smog — on top of the visible haze. In 2011, monitors near the region’s coal-fired power plants (Four Corners Power Plant and San Juan Generating Station) recorded NOx concentrations at over twenty parts per billion (ppb). By 2026, ambient NO2 readings in Farmington have dropped to under 1 ppb, thanks to the retirement and partial shutdown of nearby coal units. You can literally see the difference and breathe easier!