Bill to End Coal at TransAlta Moves Forward

Mar 29 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Marqise Allen The Chronicle, Centralia, Wash.

The bill that would take the state's sole coal-fired plant offline by 2025 continued its path to the House floor for finalization Monday morning.

The House Capital Budget Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 5769 to analyze the legislation's budgetary impacts on the state.

"While the parties to the agreement did not presume to allocate state funds, we did endorse the Senate's proposal to use state funding, if available, as a way to help the community succeed in their economic transition," said Keith Phillips, policy adviser to the governor's office.

The Canadian-based energy company would provide $30 million to a community investment fund for energy efficiency projects to stabilize the local economy.

Originally, the state would kick in an additional $10 million over the next 12 years, starting with $2 million in the 2011 to 2013 biennium.

However, an amendment presented by Chairman of the Capital Budget Committee Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, would continue to keep funding intact for the community by making specific projects in Lewis County a priority for grant funding, rather than giving the community a blank check.

"The reality is one, you can't bind future legislators and two, to just hand the money out without any projects would be detrimental to the community," Dunshee said. "Often when we just send money to a community, it tends to break down in a fight over the money."

The legislation has been seen as a watershed moment for Washington that is on track to be the first coal free state. TransAlta, environmentalists and Gov. Chris Gregoire have continued to support the agreement as it move through the Legislature on what seems to be a clear path to passage.

The House Capital Budget Committee is scheduled to move the bill out of committee during executive session today.

The bill's passing would close one of the Centralia plant's boilers by 2020 and the second by 2025.

Upgrades costing $20 million to $30 million that would cut the plant's mercury emissions by 50 percent at the start of 2012 are currently being installed. The plant would also be required to spend $30 million on technology that would further reduce the facility's emissions of nitrogen oxides by, 2013.

Marqise Allen: (360) 807-8237, Twitter @marqiseallen