U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order requiring TransAlta to keep Unit 2 of the Centralia Generating Station in Centralia, Washington available for operation through the winter months. The unit, which was scheduled to close at the end of 2025, will now remain online until March 16, 2026. This decision comes as part of efforts to maintain grid stability and reduce the risk of power outages in the Northwestern United States during periods of high electricity demand.
“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.”
The Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report indicates that if reliable power sources continue to be taken offline at rates seen during previous years, blackout incidents could increase substantially by 2030.
Additionally, an assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) found that the WECC Northwest region faces higher risks during severe winter weather events such as prolonged cold spells. NERC’s Winter Reliability Assessment noted that “extreme winter conditions extending over a wide area could result in electricity supply shortfalls.” In support of this concern, national peak electricity demand has increased by 2.5% since last winter.
The emergency order takes effect from December 16, 2025 and will remain in place until March 16, 2026.
