DOE Orders Coal Plant in Washington State to Continue Operating

‘The Trump administration will continue taking action to keep America’s coal plants running,’ the energy secretary said.

Steam rises from a coal power plant in Adamsville, Ala., on April 11, 2021. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued an emergency order on Dec. 16 directing TransAlta to continue operating a unit of a coal power plant in Washington state that was scheduled for closure at year’s end.

The order, signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, directs TransAlta to keep unit 2 of the Centralia Generating Station running as the DOE seeks to secure affordable power for the Northwestern region—which includes Montana, Oregon, Washington state, and parts of northern California and Idaho— during the cold winter months.