Centralia Power Plant

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Centralia Power Plant
Centralia Power Plant, 2020
CountryUnited States
LocationHanaford Valley, Lewis County near Centralia, Washington
Coordinates46°45′20″N 122°51′36″W / 46.75556°N 122.86000°W / 46.75556; -122.86000
StatusOpen
Construction began1968
Commission date1972 (coal); 2002 (natural gas)
OwnerTransAlta Corporation
Thermal power station
Primary fuelSubbituminous coal
Secondary fuelNatural gas
Cooling towers2
Cooling sourceArtificial ponds; Skookumchuck Dam
Power generation
Nameplate capacity
  • 729.9 MW
External links
WebsiteTransAlta - Centralia Coal Plant
CommonsRelated media on Commons
Map
[edit on Wikidata]

The Centralia Power Plant, known also as the Centralia Coal Plant, Centralia Steam Plant, or Centralia Steam-Electric Plant, is a coal-fired power plant supplemented with a natural gas power plant known as the Big Hanaford Power Plant. The combined coal and natural gas facility is located east of Centralia in the Hanaford Valley of Lewis County, Washington.

The plant, owned by TransAlta, is situated on 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) and at its peak generated enough energy to power Los Angeles. The two-boiler, fossil fuel power station was constructed beginning in 1968. Both boilers were fully operational by 1972. The Centralia Coal Mine was opened in 1970 to provide the fuel source for the plant. The Skookumchuck Dam was built to provide water as a cooling source. The natural gas facility opened in 2002.

The coal mine was closed in 2006 due to operational costs. Following in 2011, a Washington state law was signed to permanently shutter the steam plant. The first boiler unit was shut down in 2020. The Centralia Power Plant, the last commercial energy production facility to be powered by coal in the state, is expected to fully close by the end of 2025.

History

[edit]
See also: Centralia Coal Mine

Construction and beginning operations

[edit]

In December 1951, an estimated 1.75 billion metric tons (1.75×109 t) of bituminous coal was discovered in Lewis County near Centralia by the United States Department of the Interior.[1]

The construction of a one-gigawatt, steam-generated plant, to be built by Pacific Power & Light Company of Portland and Spokane-based Washington Water Power Company, was first announced in May 1967. The proposal, estimated at first to cost $140 million, also officially announced the construction of the Skookumchuck Dam, the reservoir to be used for cooling purposes at the plant.[2] Under oversight of Bechtel Corporation, construction of a first boiler unit began on June 13, 1968. The cost of the plant was revised to $206 million with a 700-megawatt capacity of the first unit; a second unit was to be built later when additional was to be required.[3] The design and construction of the new plant were by Stone & Webster and ABB Environmental Systems.[4]

In anticipation of the electrical facility, Bonneville Power Administration began efforts by August 1968 to upgrade the electrical grid within Centralia and Chehalis, Washington.[a] Announcements at the time also reported that the plant was to produce up to 1.4 gigawatts once both units were operational.[5] An untitled, multi-part documentary was filmed during the early construction phases of the mine and plant. Also focusing on the concerns of environmental impacts, early screenings in 1970 were hosted in Centralia; reviews were considered positive and ecological concerns abated by the positive tone of the movie.[6][b]

The second boiler was officially lit for inspection in late-August 1972,[7] and the entire plant was considered effectively complete and on schedule, with operations at full capacity, by early September. Approximately 1,200 people were employed during the four-year construction phase which was built at a finalized cost of $230 million.[8]

21st century and closure

[edit]

By 2000, the plant was noted for a more than 5-year stretch without a "time-loss" accident; total employees numbered were listed at approximately 120.[9] Including employees at the Centralia Coal Mine, jobs via TransAlta in Lewis County totaled 680 people.[1] Employment numbers at the plant were listed at 225 in 2006.[10]

TransAlta constructed the 248 MW, natural-gas-powered Big Hanaford power plant on the grounds of the coal plant. Completed on time and on budget, the $215-million plant went online on August 12, 2002.[11]

In 2006, the adjacent Centralia Coal Mine was closed due to operating costs, eliminating approximately 600 jobs.[12] In 2011, a bill signed in 2011 by governor Christine Gregoire, the TransAlta Energy Transition Bill (TAETB) also known as Senate Bill 5769,[13] authored in an agreement to permanently close the Centralia Power Plant in 2025. A coal boiler was shut down in 2020 as part of beginning phase of the closure.[14][15][16]

Multi-million-dollar funds, to be used for clean energy investments and programs for the Centralia community and throughout the state, were required as a part of the TAETB bill. A fund up to $30 million was initiated to lower nitrogen oxide levels beginning in 2013; the plant has already begun an upgrade to reduce mercury emissions beginning in 2012.[13] TransAlta created a $20 million fund for training and educational work programs for remaining employees of the plant.[17] Part of a larger Centralia Coal Transition Grants initiative, other grants include millions for energy efficiency and technology for nearby communities and schools. The land at the site has slowly been reclaimed for public and commercial use, including the planting of trees and maintaining wetland areas.[18]

By 2025, the plant was the last commercial coal-fired power plant remaining in the state.[19][17]

Generating units

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Coal-fired

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Plant and coal train, 2013

The two identical coal-fired generating units have a combined capacity of 1,340 MW. The coal plant is overseen by a one-room operation center. Coal is stored next to the plant in 400-metric-ton (400 t) silos; the capacity is enough to run operations for up to eight hours.[20]

The coal facility is 23 stories tall and the design is considered "utilitarian". Catwalks, conveyor belts, girders, and thousands of feet of pipe are exposed.[21]

When constructed, each boiler facility stood 233 feet (71.0 m) tall and had a footprint of 25,600 square feet (2,380 m2). Each foundation required 12,000 cubic feet (340 m3) of concrete. Two smokestacks, built with a pollution-control system to contain fly ash, each measured over 470 feet (143.3 m) in height. At the plant's beginnings, more than 20,000 metric tons (20,000 t) of coal were estimated to be used per day.[22]

Approximately 20,000 volts of electricity are generated in between two turbines, with steam reaching as high as 1,005 °F (541 °C) which produces 2,900 pounds per square inch (20,000 kPa) of pressure. The steam is recycled into the boiler system. Per minute, 6,000 US gallons (23,000 L; 5,000 imp gal) of water through the condenser and cooling tower system are released into the air. The boilers can be reactivated, in the event of a shutdown, by a relighting oil system.[20]

In 1996, the expense to produce one kilowatt hour of electricity was an average of 2.125 cents. Dropping in 1999 to 1.9 cents, of which approximately 90% of the rate was due to the price of coal, the plant was considered among the most expensive to operate under PacifiCorp's portfolio.[20]

Following the 2011 agreement to close the plant, the first boiler was shut down in 2020, with the second unit planned for closure in 2025. A schedule of emissions reductions were put in place to be met as the closure date nears.[16] The Washington State Senate approved the deal with a 36–13 vote.[15] To complete this transition, TransAlta received an expedited permit, and is also exempt from any Environmental Impact Assessment that would otherwise be required.

The energy produced until its closure is used by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and according to 2022 figures, 14.5% of PSE's electric load came from the TransAlta coal plant, enough to supply power to 300,000 homes.[17]

Gas-fired

[edit]

In 2002, the coal plant capacity was supplemented with the construction of the Big Hanaford power plant. When completed, the additional facility was estimated to provide electricity for up to 300,000 homes in the Pacific Northwest.[11]

Containing five natural-gas-fired units, four units were 50-MWe gas-turbine (GT) units and the fifth was a 68-MWe steam-cycle unit. The entire arrangement is known as combined-cycle 4-on-1 where the exhaust from the 4 GTs creates steam via heat recovery steam generators to power a single steam turbine. In 2014, the gas-fired portion of the facility was removed from the coal-plant footprint and parted out to various buyers.[citation needed]

The combined output of both the coal and natural-gas units were considered to be able to power the city of Los Angeles.[17]

Fuel supply

[edit]
Plant site, 2023

Seventy percent of sub-bituminous coal used by the plant was delivered by truck from the nearby Centralia Coal Mine, which was a strip mine and the largest coal mine in the state of Washington, until it closed down on November 27, 2006.[23] Additional loads were delivered directly from the mine via a 2-mile-long (3.2 km) conveyor-belt system.[24]

By the 1990s, the plant has imported coal from other sites when needed. In 1994, approximately 1.2 million metric tons (1,200,000 t) of coal shipped from other mines other than the Centralia Coal Mine.[25] In 1999, the plant was recorded to burn through 5 million metric tons (5,000,000 t) of coal; approximately 80% was delivered from the nearby mine.[20]

Coal from the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming has been transported by rail to be burned at the plant since 1989, but was only used to supplement Centralia Coal Mine coal until 2006. By 2008, the plant was burning 100% Powder River Basin coal.[26] Rail upgrades and SO2 scrubber upgrades to ensure the plant releases less pollution would have ensured the operation ran for at least another 15–20 years. Before the closure of unit 1, Centralia burned coal from about nine 110-car coal trains each week (i.e. 990 full coal cars).[citation needed]

Environmental and public impacts

[edit]

20th century

[edit]

A hill was excavated in 1968 to provide the location of the steam plant, and the existing Hanaford Valley Road was moved immediately next to the site.[3] By the late 1970s, the coal plant had twice been outfitted with electrostatic precipitators. The first system, costing $12 million, reduced dust particles by 95%. The $43 million second precipitator further lowered dust contamination with an efficiency of up to 99.8%.[21]

The Centralia Steam-Electric Plant, in 1992 and 1993, reported emissions of 1.39 pounds of sulfur dioxide per one British thermal unit and was expected in 1996 to produce 84,000 metric tons (84,000 t) of the gas.[c] The high emission numbers were found during a required review of the plant under the Clean Air Act of 1990. The review was undertaken by the Southwest Air Pollution Control (Agency) Authority (SWAPCA). The agency, in February 1995, published recommended upgrades and pollution-control methods at the site.[28] By August, the authority ordered the plant to reduce emissions by half.[29]

In December 1996, an agreement with federal and state agencies authored in plans to build or add pollution controlling systems at the plant. An additional smokestack was to be constructed and scrubbers installed. The upgraded emission-control systems, estimated to cost more than $250 million, were projected to lower the release of sulfur dioxide pollutants to as low as 7,000 metric tons (7,000 t) annually. The plant, known at the time as the second-leading polluting coal plant in the state, received tax breaks in 1997 to offset the project, estimated at $130 million over three decades.[30][d] The coal plant was expected to close if the agreement failed to be authorized.[29][31]

The tax subsidies were not well-received, and competing bills to fund the emission upgrade project were introduced in both the state senate and house. Debate over the bills usually included Centralia residents, as well as plant and mine employees, supporting the tax breaks, voicing concerns over job losses; opponents were concerned over environmental factors and the use of taxpayer money to fund a corporate project.[25] A following order in February 1998 by the SWAPCA to again lower emissions was originally agreed to by PacifiCorp. The company asked for a nine-month delay to implement their efforts after a single individual, concerned the agreement did not go far enough in regards to environmental protections, appealed the order; PacifiCorp cited the delay's purpose due to a lack of compliance and contractual obligations, as well as protecting its investment already spent on the emissions project. The decision on the delay was also delayed, not heard by the SWAPCA committee until January 1999 and not formally voted on until April that year.[27][32]

21st century

[edit]

TransAlta was fined $3,500 by the Southwest Clean Air Agency for exceeding air-pollution standards for one hour; the company self-reported the incident. In April 2002, TransAlta was fined $24,000 by the Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDAOE) due to clay- and mud-contaminated stormwater runoff from collection ponds into nearby Hanaford Creek. The silt was considered hazardous to the local aquatic habitat, particularly to salmon spawning grounds. The company immediately announced projects to prevent further incidents from occurring, constructing booms and screens and removing a hillside to prevent additional soil particles from entering the pools.[33]

The Centralia Power Plant had been considered to be a leading cause of air pollution at Mount Rainier National Park.[34] When TransAlta bought the plant in 2000, it agreed to reduce emissions. It installed $200 million worth of scrubbers on the plant, which were purchased from ABB Environmental Systems. The project was completed by September 2002; an open house at the plant, attended by approximately 2,500 people, was held to dedicate the scrubbers as well as to celebrate the start-up of the Big Hanaford addition. TransAlta also received an ISO 14001 certification recognizing the company's two-year achievement in developing an environmental management system at the plant.[35]

The scrubbers, using a daily application of a wet-ground limestone slurry, absorbed sulfur oxide particulates, reducing airborne levels by 90 percent. The chemical process, along with additional oxidation, created calcium sulfite, also known as gypsum. The gypsum was removed and used in the production of sheetrock at the Georgia Pacific plant in Tacoma. The addition of the pollution controls allowed the Centralia plant to be considered one of the cleanest coal plants in North America.[36] Sulfur emissions of the natural-gas facility were considered low; specifically designed turbines, along with a catalytic conversion system, helped to minimize nitrogen oxide pollution.[35]

Between 2010 and 2012, the Centralia Power Plant was offline for an average of 4 months of each year. In March 2009, a proposed agreement between TransAlta and the WSDOE was announced, regarding a significant step forward in improving air quality in Washington. Key to the agreement is TransAlta's willingness to voluntarily reduce mercury emissions by at least 50 percent by 2012 to address air-quality concerns in the region. Capture testing took place in 2009, and an activated injection product was selected. The process was expected to cost US$20–30 million over several years. Additionally, continuous emissions-monitoring systems (CEMS) for mercury measurement were certified by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC). As part of the same agreement between TransAlta and the Washington Department of Ecology, TransAlta agreed to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 20 percent beginning in 2009. In 2012, Selective Non Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) system was installed to further reduce NOx at a cost of almost $20M.[37]

Annually, the Centralia Power Plant emits 350 pounds of mercury pollution,[citation needed] making it the state's largest single source of mercury pollution. Mercury pollution is a bio-cumulative neurotoxin which causes brain damage in humans and is especially dangerous for children and pregnant or nursing mothers.[38][permanent dead link] The National Park Service (NPS) in 2014 reported on high mercury levels in Olympic National Park, particularly at Hoh Lake. Although mercury pollution was also known to travel into the state from as far away as China, the NPS placed blame for the high recordings, as well as haze in the park, on the Big Hanaford facility.[39]

Among the top five polluting plants in the state, the Centralia site was recorded in 2013 to generate 13% of carbon emissions in the state and 81% of all combined emissions, amounting to 5,360,000 metric tons (5,360,000 t) annually.[12] By 2019, the plant was recorded to emit 979,557 t CO2 emissions.[40]

Ownership

[edit]

From the early 1970s until 2000, the plant was owned by eight utilities: PacifiCorp (47.5%), Washington Water Power (Avista Energy) (15%), Seattle City Light (8%), Snohomish County PUD (8%), Tacoma Power (8%), Puget Sound Energy (7%), Grays Harbor County PUD (4%), and Portland General Electric (2.5%).[41][27]

PacifiCorp began to struggle financially, posting losses of $92 million in the third quarter of 1998 despite an attempt to purchase a holding company of British Energy early that year. In December 1998, ScottishPower announced their purchase of PacifiCorp for $7.9 billion in stock; the merger pended the approval of various state and federal commissions.[42][43]

The plant instead was sold to TransAlta Corporation for $554 million, which was approved by the company boards of both Avista Energy and PacifiCorp in May 1999. The Grays Harbor and Snohomish utilities approved the purchase later that same month, with Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power following into June.[44] In early 2000, Portland General Electric sold its 2.5% share to Avista Energy. The merger was officially approved by federal regulators in January 2000 and accepted by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on March 6, 2000;[45][46][47] Tacoma Power's share was officially sold in May.[34] Utility regulators and state commissions in other states, including California, Oregon, and Wyoming, followed suit in approving the sale, allowing TransAlta to take full control of the plant.[45]

Proceeds and profits from the sale were required by law to be given to customers and shareholders; the amount rebated back to customers was estimated to be a combined $13.3 million, while the three private owners, Avista, PacifiCorp, and Puget Sound Energy, were to receive a combined $47.4 million. Rate increases had been pending prior to the sale by both Avista, at 10.4%, and PacifiCorp, at 14.3%, and rebates from the sale of the Centralia Electric-Steam Plant to their customers were to be factored into the requests.[45]

Future plans

[edit]

Future plans for the site include the operating of several green-energy facilities, including generating power via hydrogen and nuclear fusion, and the decommissioning of the Centralia Coal Mine is expected to incorporate renewable-energy machinery as the coal plant closes. The company created a $20 million fund for training and educational work programs for remaining employees of the plant.[17]

A 1,000-acre (400 ha) solar farm, to be located immediately north of the Lewis and Thurston county border, was proposed in 2018. At the time of the announcement, it was to be the largest such type in the United States. Capable of providing up to 180 MW, nearly 200 megawatts short of the steam plant's production, it was to open in 2020.[12]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Centralia and Chehalis are known as the Twin Cities. See respective articles or sourcing throughout the page.
  2. ^ The managing editor of Centralia's newspaper, The Daily Chronicle, suggested the title of the documentary to be, "From Old Bones To Hot Watts", due to the plant burning fossil fuels to produce electricity.[6]
  3. ^ Actual sulfur dioxide emissions for 1996 was listed at over 78,000 metric tons (78,000 t).[27]
  4. ^ The 1997 state legislative package that helped to authorize the tax break was known as House Bill 1257. It passed 96-0. The primary sponsor of the bill was Richard DeBolt, a representative from Chehalis who three years later was hired by TransAlta as an "external relations director".[30]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilma, David (September 1, 2005). "Lewis County — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  2. ^ Hoxit, Eric (May 27, 1967). "Hanaford, Coal Field Work Due". The Daily Chronicle. p. 7. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Plant Job Underway". The Daily Chronicle. June 14, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  4. ^ Tucker, Libby (August 28, 2006). "Concrete strike has hidden benefit for NW construction industry". Daily Journal of Commerce. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  5. ^ "BPA Getting Ready For Coal Steam Plant Power". The Daily Chronicle. August 9, 1968. p. 1. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Koenninger, Tom (March 7, 1970). "'From Old Bones To Hot Watts'". The Daily Chronicle. p. 3. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  7. ^ "Steam plant - Boiler fired up on second unit". The Daily Chronicle. August 23, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  8. ^ Hoxit, Eric (September 2, 1972). "Stream plant finished right on schedule". The Daily Chronicle. p. 10. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  9. ^ The Chronicle Editorial staff (November 21, 2000). "Our Views - Aid hospital by support of festival". The Chronicle. p. A8. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  10. ^ McGinnis, Robin (November 28, 2006). "Mine shuts down". The Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  11. ^ a b The Chronicle staff (August 13, 2002). "TransAlta announces start-up of new Centralia plant". The Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c Kunkler, Aaron (March 19, 2018). "Washington Coal Country's Underpowered Future - As Puget Sound Energy phases out coal, struggling Lewis County is left searching for economic answers". The Seattle Weekly. Bellevue Reporter. NewsBank 16E01CD724E43AA8. Retrieved October 23, 2025 – via NewsBank.
  13. ^ a b Allen, Marqise (April 30, 2011). "Gregoire Signs TransAlta Bill". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  14. ^ "SB 5769 - 2011-12". Washington State Legislature. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "TransAlta Agrees to Phase Out Coal Plant". PubliCola.com. March 9, 2011. Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ a b "Centralia coal-burning plant shutters unit nine years after Washington law passes to cut emissions". KING 5 News. December 31, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d e Geraldo, Renata (May 30, 2023). "Lewis County's Centralia bets on clean energy as coal economy fades". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  18. ^ McDonald, Julie (May 6, 2024). "NPR shines national spotlight on Centralia and TransAlta". The Chronicle. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
  19. ^ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  20. ^ a b c d Geluso, James (February 25, 1999). "Coal power - Centralia plant converts coal to energy with the help of hydroelectric generators". The Chronicle. pp. C1, C2. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
  21. ^ a b Blumenthal, Les (August 12, 1979). "Steam plant: Never a shutdown caused by major human error". Walla Walla Union-Bulletin. Associated Press. p. 29. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  22. ^ "$200 million electric power project moving at fast clip". Port Angeles Evening News. Associated Press. July 13, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  23. ^ "Centralia mine to close, putting 600 out of work". Puget Sound Business Journal. November 28, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  24. ^ "Overburden Removal System To Be Unique". The Daily Chronicle. February 24, 1970. p. 4. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
  25. ^ a b Pfeifer, Larissa (June 30, 1997). "Stream plant fight is on". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A10. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  26. ^ "TransAlta's Centralia Plant Earns PRBCUG Award". Power Magazine. January 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  27. ^ a b c Feehan, Jim (July 23, 1998). "Power plant seeks pollution rule delay". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A12. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  28. ^ Atwood, Dwayne B. (February 23, 1995). "Agency wants steam plant to cut air pollution levels". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A11. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  29. ^ a b "Pollution controls get OK". The Chronicle. Associated Press. December 4, 1996. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  30. ^ a b Mittge, Brian (March 15, 2007). "Steam Plant Tax Break Moves Forward in 1997". The Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  31. ^ Erlich, Matthew (December 4, 1996). "Local reaction to steam plant is positive". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  32. ^ Feehan, Jim (October 16, 1998). "Pollution authority puts off decision on Centralia plant". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A10. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  33. ^ Emerson, Amy (April 4, 2002). "TransAlta fined $24,000 for stormwater runoff problems". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A7. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  34. ^ a b Wilma, David (January 30, 2003). "Tacoma sells its portion of coal-fired steam plant near Centralia on May 7, 2000". HistoryLink. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  35. ^ a b Emerson, Amy (September 16, 2002). "TransAlta celebrates banner achievements". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A12. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  36. ^ The Chronicle staff (September 16, 2002). "Scrubbers cut emissions of pollution by 90 percent". The Chronicle. p. A12. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  37. ^ "SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN STATE OF WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY AND TRANSALTA CENTRALIA GENERATION LLC OF AIR QUALITY MATTERS" (PDF). Washington State Department of Ecology. May 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  38. ^ "For Childrens Sake Move Away From". The News Tribune. September 26, 2010. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  39. ^ "High levels of mercury found in fish at Olympic National Park's Hoh Lake". Peninsula Daily News, wire services. May 27, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  40. ^ "EPA Facility Level GHG Emissions Data". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved September 6, 2021.[dead link]
  41. ^ "State allows sale of three private utilities' share in Centralia coal plant," Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, March 6, 2000
  42. ^ "ScottishPower buys PacifiCorp". The Chronicle. Associated Press. December 7, 1998. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
  43. ^ "Centralia power plant sold for $554M". Puget Sound Business Journal. May 5, 2000. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  44. ^ Geluso, James (May 15, 1999). "Last private owner OKs plant sale". The Chronicle. p. 1. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  45. ^ a b c Slaughter, Mai Ling (March 7, 2000). "State approved sale of steam plant". The Chronicle. pp. A1, A9. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  46. ^ Brunner, Jim (March 20, 2001). "Coal-plant sale was good idea at the time". The Seattle Times. p. A8. NewsBank 0EB53AAE394AF20F. Retrieved November 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
  47. ^ "Utah agency stalls sale of aging Centralia power plant," Daily Journal of Commerce, April 13, 2000
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