The Trump administration issued an emergency order Wednesday requiring a Washington state coal plant to stay operational through winter to prevent power outages across the Pacific Northwest. The order comes as federal energy officials warn of a sharp spike in electricity demand and increased blackout risks during the coldest months.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed Canadian-owned TransAlta to keep Unit 2 of the Centralia Generating Station online through March 16. The plant, located about 65 miles south of Seattle, had been scheduled for closure by the end of 2025, but growing grid instability prompted the Trump administration to intervene.
The Energy Department said the move is necessary to minimize the risk and cost of blackouts in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of several neighboring states. Forecasts suggest peak winter electricity demand in the region will rise nearly 10% over last year—an increase of 2.9 gigawatts.
The Centralia plant’s Unit 1 was retired in 2020. Unit 2 was slated to be replaced by a gas-fired facility, but that transition is still years away. TransAlta has invested over $300 million in pollution controls, making Centralia one of the cleanest coal-fired plants in North America by emissions standards.
Wednesday’s order follows President Donald Trump’s earlier invocation of emergency powers to keep essential coal-fired facilities online nationwide. The administration declared a “national energy emergency” and moved to eliminate federal regulations that restrict coal power generation.
The Sierra Club sharply criticized the decision, calling it an “illegal” extension of the plant’s operations and estimating the cost to keep it online at $65 million. Environmental activists have also launched legal challenges against similar emergency orders in Michigan and Pennsylvania, where coal and gas plants have been ordered to remain operational until February.
The Centralia plant is now the latest front in the broader energy war between federal regulators focused on grid reliability and climate groups demanding faster closures of traditional power sources.
