Centralia Power Plant
| Centralia Power Plant | |
|---|---|
Centralia Power Plant, 2020 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Hanaford Valley, Lewis County near Centralia, Washington |
| Coordinates | 46°45′20″N 122°51′36″W / 46.75556°N 122.86000°W |
| Status | Open |
| Construction began | 1968 |
| Commission date | 1972 (coal); 2002 (natural gas) |
| Owner | TransAlta Corporation |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Subbituminous coal |
| Secondary fuel | Natural gas |
| Cooling towers | 2 |
| Cooling source | Artificial ponds; Skookumchuck Dam |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity |
|
| External links | |
| Website | TransAlta - Centralia Coal Plant |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
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 close as a coal powered plant by the end of 2025.
TransAlta announced in December 2025 that the second coal boiler of the plant was to be converted into a natural gas-burning unit. Planned to be running by 2028, the updated unit is contractually obligated to remain operational through 2044.