Coal Plant on Standby Costs Millions

A 55-year-old coal plant in Centralia, Washington, is being forced to stay open under a Trump-era federal order claiming it’s vital for regional energy security — even though it hasn’t burned coal since December. The plant’s owner, TransAlta, is seeking tens of millions in taxpayer-backed reimbursements to keep workers and infrastructure on standby, sparking outrage from utilities, environmental groups, and even the state attorney general. Critics call the move wasteful, pointing out coal is no longer economically viable and the company plans to convert it to natural gas. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission now faces the tough choice: who pays for power that’s not being generated — and how long this messy standoff will last. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6fee55daf8348a03