Governor Gregoire signed into law a bill to phase out the TransAlta coal plant in Centralia. With the Governor’s signature, WA will be on track to become the 2nd state (behind OR) to end the use of coal for electricity.
TransAlta will stop producing half of the coal power in 2020 and the other half in 2025. In the meantime, the company can sell coal power through long-term contracts. TransAlta will install pollution controls by 2013 to reduce haze that causes smog and obscures vistas. TransAlta will provide $30M in direct economic development and energy efficiency jobs to the community, and another $25M to develop clean-energy technology.
For information, here is a piece by Climate Solutions KC Golden or contact Bonnie Frye Hemphill.