U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has issued an emergency order to keep Unit 2 of the Centralia Generating Station in Washington available for operation through the winter months. The decision aims to address grid reliability concerns and reduce the risk of blackouts as colder weather approaches.
Unit 2, a coal-fired unit at the Centralia plant operated by TransAlta, was previously scheduled for shutdown at the end of 2025. The Department of Energy’s action extends its operation from December 16, 2025, through March 16, 2026.
“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 DOE cited its Resource Adequacy Report which projected that blackouts could increase up to one hundredfold by 2030 if dependable power sources are removed from service at previous rates.
Additionally, analysis from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) identified an elevated risk for electricity supply shortfalls in the WECC Northwest region during periods of severe winter weather. NERC’s Winter Reliability Assessment warned that “extreme winter conditions extending over a wide area could result in electricity supply shortfalls.” Rising demand has also contributed to these concerns; peak U.S. electricity demand increased by 2.5% compared with last winter.
The emergency order prioritizes keeping essential generation resources online as part of efforts to maintain grid stability and control costs for consumers during times when heating needs are highest.
