Closing a coal station is an industrial construction project in its own right, and so is deciding what to build on the site afterward. Craig Station is a three unit coal plant with 1,285 megawatts of total capacity that employed 180 people in January 2022, with nearly 115 more employees at the mine that feeds it, and its owners have published retirement plans for the units. We support owners, public entities and neighboring businesses with the physical work that follows: selective demolition, slab and foundation removal, utility isolation, building reuse and new light industrial construction.
Tri-State's 2025 annual report says it intends to retire the 448 MW Craig Station Unit 3 by January 1, 2028 and Unit 2 (Tri-State share 98 MW) by September 30, 2028. Craig Station Unit 1 was planned to retire by December 31, 2025, but on December 30, 2025 the owners received a U.S. Department of Energy emergency order under Section 202(c) to keep it available to operate for 90 days, and a rehearing request was denied by operation of law in March 2026. Dates in this sector move with regulatory actions, so we build schedules that tolerate change and we confirm each date directly with the site owner.
Craig sits at about 6,198 ft elevation on U.S. 40, and State Highway 13 runs south from Craig to Interstate 70 and north from town. Those two routes carry the equipment, steel and aggregate for any project, and they set the mobilization distance from larger markets. Owners who also operate in Steamboat Springs or Rifle can coordinate crews and equipment across the three towns through one scope and one set of safety rules.
Why plant changes move work to the rest of the county
Moffat County's 2020 assessed value was nearly $430 million with 62% from its top 10 taxpayers, all energy-related, and property tax is the county's largest revenue source, so plant and mine closures drive local redevelopment demand. Coal plant workers averaged about $100,000 a year versus about $40,000 county average. A change at the station therefore affects public budgets, local suppliers and the demand for new space.
For a builder, that translates into two kinds of work. The first is on-site: demolishing or repurposing structures that are no longer needed. The second is off-site: light industrial shops, equipment yards and storage buildings for businesses that want to stay in Craig or move in. We keep both lines active and plan crews around the sequence the owners choose. A single schedule shows the removal windows, the new foundations and the long-lead orders together, so the owner can see when a cleared pad becomes a ready one.
Decommissioning scope we can carry
Our industrial demolition services cover selective removal of structures, slabs, foundations and underground items after the owner has isolated and de-energized the systems. Before a machine touches a wall, we confirm utility isolation in writing, coordinate hazardous material surveys and plan the sequence so what stays remains stable.
Where an existing building has a future use, we use industrial renovations and modernization to remove obsolete equipment, patch and recoat floors, re-roof and bring the electrical and fire protection to current requirements. The decision between reuse and removal depends on structure, location and the new use, and we price both paths. We also record existing conditions with photographs and measured drawings before work starts, so the owner has a baseline for any later claim or insurance review.
Slab replacement, grading and new pads
After demolition the ground is rarely ready for new work. Old foundations leave voids, backfill varies and buried utilities may remain. Our demolition and slab replacement scope covers removal, subgrade evaluation, compaction testing and placement of a new slab or pad with the design the new owner needs.
We then grade the site for drainage, stabilize laydown areas and build access roads for heavy equipment. If the next user is a manufacturer or a utility-related contractor, the pad and the yard can be completed before the building goes up, which shortens the time to operation.
Energy and the industries that follow it
Energy owners remain the main customers, including utilities and power operators who need control rooms, substations, maintenance buildings and equipment storage at working sites. Many of these owners also need contractors who know how to work inside a secure, operating facility with permits for hot work, lockout and tagout, and controlled access.
Other industries use the space when it becomes available. Metals and heavy industry users such as fabricators and equipment yards often seek large lots with heavy-haul access, and we build the slabs, crane bays and pavements that those operations require.
Controls for work around live and legacy systems
Demolition near an energy site is controlled by process. We prepare a site-specific safety plan, verify isolation of electrical, fuel, steam and water systems, and run permit-to-work for hot work, confined space and excavations. Subcontractors are briefed before they enter, and we track their work against the isolation points.
Dust, noise and traffic need management too. We water to limit dust, schedule loud work in agreed windows and route trucks away from sensitive areas. At closeout, we deliver a record of what was removed, what remains, the location of abandoned lines and the disposal documentation.
What changes the price of a removal and reuse project
The largest cost drivers are scope certainty, hazardous materials, disposal and the condition of what stays. A fixed price for demolition is only as good as the survey behind it, so we encourage owners to complete asbestos, lead and other required surveys before bidding.
Reuse adds items such as roof repair, floor restoration and code upgrades. We compare each against the cost of a new building so the owner can see the true price of reuse. For small yards and light industrial shells, pre-engineered metal buildings often win on cost and schedule.
Send the site and the owner's timeline
Tell us what is coming down, what stays and what the next use will be. We will return a sequenced scope, a survey checklist and options for reuse or new construction.
Common Questions
Do you take part in the Craig Station retirement itself?
The retirement dates, outage plans and decommissioning scope belong to the plant owners, and we do not speak for them. We offer the physical work that follows or supports it, such as selective demolition, slab removal and new construction, under whatever schedule the owner confirms.
How do you plan around dates that keep moving?
We keep the schedule as a sequence of tasks with durations and logical links, not as fixed dates. When a date changes, the sequence slips together, and long-lead orders are timed to the owner's confirmed milestone instead of a published forecast.
Should we demolish or reuse a building that is no longer needed?
Compare three costs: removal, repair to the new use and replacement with a new metal building. Structure, floor condition, roof age, clear height and utilities decide the result. We evaluate each and present the numbers side by side.
What surveys are needed before demolition?
Regulated materials surveys, utility locates and a structural review are standard. The owner usually provides the first, and we review it and coordinate abatement before demolition starts.
Where does new industrial space go once old facilities close?
Often on the same site or nearby, where utilities, access and zoning exist. We review the electrical capacity, truck access and soils to see whether the lot supports the new use and what upgrades it needs.