DOE orders Washington coal plant to standby 90 days
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- Department of Energy issued a second emergency order to keep Washington’s last coal plant, the Centralia plant, open for an additional 90 days.
- Centralia plant has been idle for the past three months, with its owner reporting no electricity generation since its planned closure.
- Department of Energy cited reliability concerns as the reason for the order, despite the fact that coal is the least reliable energy source.
- Centralia plant has imposed $329 million in increased health costs on its community since 2015, most of which accrued while the plant was operating between 2015‑2018.
- Washington relies primarily on hydropower, which supplied the vast majority of the state’s electricity generation over the last three months, according to an Environmental Defense Fund analysis.
- Campbell plant in Michigan, also subject to a DoE standby order, cost $42 million to remain ready for operation during a 90‑day period, a cost to be borne by utility customers.
Why it matters: Washington taxpayers and ratepayers will see higher electricity bills and health costs as the DOE’s standby order forces an idle coal plant to stay on call, while the plant’s owner and the state’s cheap hydropower see no benefit. The decision also mirrors a $42 M standby cost in Michigan that will be passed to utility customers, underscoring the financial burden.
