U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order requiring TransAlta to keep Unit 2 of the Centralia Generating Station in Washington operational through the winter months. The unit, part of a coal-fired power plant, was originally scheduled to close at the end of 2025.
The Department of Energy (DOE) stated that this decision is aimed at ensuring affordable, reliable, and secure electricity for residents in the Northwestern United States as colder weather approaches. The order is intended to reduce the risk and costs associated with potential blackouts.
“The last administration’s energy subtraction policies had the United States on track to experience significantly more blackouts in the coming years — thankfully, President Trump won’t let that happen,” said Energy Secretary Wright. “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. Americans deserve access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy to heat their homes all the time, regardless of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.”
A DOE Resource Adequacy Report found that if reliable power sources continued to be taken offline as during previous policy periods, blackouts could increase by up to 100 times by 2030.
Additionally, a recent assessment from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) identified an elevated risk for electricity supply shortfalls in the WECC Northwest region during severe winter conditions. NERC’s Winter Reliability Assessment warned that “extreme winter conditions extending over a wide area could result in electricity supply shortfalls.” The DOE noted that peak U.S. electricity demand has risen by 2.5% since last winter.
The emergency order will remain in effect from December 16, 2025 through March 16, 2026.
