Washington’s last coal-fired power plant has gone dark — and it’s staying that way, even after a federal emergency order tried to keep it running. The Centralia Generating Station in Washington state shut down on December 19, 2025. Grid data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration confirms it hasn’t restarted since.
Washington’s last coal plant went dark in December 2025 — and no federal order has brought it back.
The plant, owned by Canadian company TransAlta, operated for 55 years. It was Washington’s biggest source of climate pollution. A 2011 state agreement, later signed into law, required it to close by the end of 2025.
An emergency order reportedly issued by Energy Secretary Chris Wright expired on March 16, 2026. It directed TransAlta to keep Unit 2 available to run from March 17 to June 14, 2026. The Trump administration said the order was needed to prevent blackouts in the Northwest. The order used authority from the Federal Power Act, which allows emergency orders for up to 90 days. Unit 2 has a generating capacity of roughly 730 megawatts, making it a significant potential source of power for the region.
But Washington state pushed back hard. State law already banned utilities from selling coal-based power after 2025. In March 2026, the state passed new legislation removing tax breaks and adding fees on coal and carbon pollution. That made running the plant even more expensive. The state’s attorney general also challenged the order, arguing no real emergency existed. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed the targeted tax legislation as part of the state’s 15-year effort to phase out coal power.
The plant had been sitting in cold standby mode. It had no new coal contracts and deferred maintenance. Energy data shows it produced no electricity during the prior emergency period. Experts noted it wasn’t reliable enough to restart quickly. The Northwest Energy Coalition pointed out the plant’s limited ability to come back online.
Six environmental groups asked the Department of Energy to cancel the order. Organizations like Earthjustice called it a misuse of federal power.
Meanwhile, TransAlta announced a deal with Puget Sound Energy in December 2025 to convert the site to a natural gas plant. The project aims to have it running by late 2028. If completed, it would become Washington’s largest gas-burning power plant. Natural gas burns cleaner than coal, though methane leaks remain a concern.
References
- https://changeflow.com/govping/energy/trump-administration-keeps-centralia-coal-plant-open-2026-03-17
- https://nationaltoday.com/us/wa/centralia/news/2026/03/11/washington-targets-last-coal-plant-in-pacific-northwest-with-new-tax/
- https://www.opb.org/article/2026/01/17/washington-transalta-centralia-plant-shutdown/
- https://www.publicpower.org/periodical/article/secretary-energy-issues-emergency-order-requiring-washington-state-plant-remain-available
- https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/public-interest-groups-challenge-trump-administration-order-to-keep-washingtons-last-coal-plant-operating
- https://www.edf.org/media/trump-administration-forces-washingtons-last-coal-plant-stay-open-longer-data-proves-its-not
- https://www.utilitydive.com/news/washington-earthjustice-sue-doe-centralia-emergency-order-transalta/813754/
