Energy Department Orders TransAlta to Keep Power Plant Open
By Elias Schisgall
TransAlta received an order from the U.S. Department of Energy mandating that the company keep one of its energy plants in Washington State open for a 90-day period.
The Canadian electricity provider said Tuesday that its subsidiary, TransAlta Centralia Generation, was ordered by the Energy Department to keep its Centralia Unit 2 open until June 14.
"TransAlta is currently evaluating the order and will work with the state and federal governments in relation thereto," the company said.
The plant was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025, according to the Energy Department.
The order, issued Monday, was issued under the Federal Power Act. Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote in the order that the Western Electricity Coordinating Council's Northwest assessment area is facing a shortage of electric energy, declaring the situation an emergency.
"The last administration's energy subtraction policies had the United States on track to likely experience significantly more blackouts in the coming years - thankfully, President Trump won't let that happen," Wright said Monday.
"The Trump administration will continue taking action to keep America's coal plants running so we can stop the price spikes and ensure we don't lose critical generation sources," he added.
The unit is currently a coal plant, but TransAlta announced plans in December to convert it into a natural gas plant, with construction beginning in 2027.
Write to Elias Schisgall at elias.schisgall@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 17, 2026 17:24 ET (21:24 GMT)
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