The coal-fired power plant, which is partly owned by Southern California Edison and Nevada Power Co., is expected to be shut down at least temporarily at the end of next year. It appears unlikely that $1.1 billion in pollution-control equipment can be installed by then, so Edison probably will close the plant to comply with the court decision.

Yet, Nevada Power and the Hopi Indian Tribe say a recommended order filed Wednesday provides hope the plant may resume operations.

Administrative Law Judge Carol Brown filed the proposed order with the California Public Utilities Commission calling for continued efforts to keep Mohave viable. However, she did not reach a conclusion about the plant's future.

The commission is not expected to act on her recommendation for at least 30 days.

"This is a tentative, but heartfelt victory for all Hopi people," Tribal Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. said in statement. "The CPUC has acknowledged the importance of Mohave to California ratepayers. And in doing so, it has pointed out the devastating impact a plant shutdown would have on the Hopi economy."

Southern California Edison also reacted positively to the proposed order.

"We are pleased that the proposed decision acknowledges that determining whether continued operation of Mohave is in the best interest of our customers is impossible until coal and water issues are resolved," the California utility said.

"The commission's (proposed) decision at this time is made without prejudice to the ultimate resolution of whether Mohave should continue as a coal-burning plant," her proposed order states.

"However, by authorizing Edison to make certain investments at this time we keep that question open until such time as a definitive public interest judgment can be made," Brown continued.

She referred to the commission's responsibility to determine whether it is in the public's interest to keep the plant operating.

The plant needs to secure coal and water if it is to reopen and resume operation after a temporary closure. Brown proposed the parties continue negotiations on coal and water.

Nevada Power said the recommendation would be helpful.

"(Brown) ruled or clarified to Southern California Edison that we should move forward, attempting to resolve fuel and water issues at the Mohave Generating Station," said Mark Sandoval, generation executive for Nevada Power parent, Sierra Pacific Resources.

Later, the California commission will determine how much of Mohave-related expenses Edison can recover, Sandoval said.

"Everything is still very tentative. There's a lot of things that are driving the economics of that facility, not only for the (plant) co-owners but for the Hopi and Navajo Nation," he added.

Nevada Power owns 14 percent of the plant and gets 220 megawatts of power from it. Coal for the plant comes by slurry line from a mine on Hopi and Navajo land in Northeast Arizona. The Hopi tribal government estimates it will lose one-third of its operating budget if the Mohave plant and Black Mesa Mine are shut down.

James Ham, an attorney for the Hopi Tribe, said the administrative law judge determined a certificate of public convenience and necessity "was not necessary because the plant already has one, and that Edison could proceed with the critical path expenditures, which it found to be reasonable."