This Washington
Late Afternoon Fizz: Gutted TransAlta Bill Passes Senate Committee
I had to ask Sierra Club spokeswoman Kathleen Ridihalgh why she was sending out a press release applauding the state senate ways and means committee vote today to pass the TransAlta bill.
Last time we checked in on the bill—which phases out the TransAlta coal plant in Centralia— it had been eviscerated to the point that a community transition fund had been done away with, the company's tax break had been kept in place, there was no longer a calendar of milestones for the phase out, and the 2020 deadline for closing down (it was originally supposed to be 2015) wasn't set in stone.
The version that passed today—if possible—was even weaker: The 2020 deadline was removed in favor of an unspecified end date to be negotiated with the company which wants a 2025 end date.
So again, why was the Sierra Club happy. After all, TransAlta had originally been planning to shut down the coal plant by 2025 anyway.
Ridihalgh explained the good news: The bill is still alive (and with people like Rep. Marko Liias in the house, who had proposed a stricter version, in the mix) the possibility exists to strengthen it.
Ridihalgh says TransAlta was so spooked by the existence of the bill that they've begun negotiating again with the governor (they had cut off formal negotiations last year while keeping informal talks in play) for a resolution. With the bill alive as a potential hammer, the negotiations may work their way toward an acceptable deal.
Doug Howell, head of the Sierra Club's Coal Free Washington campaign, said:
And more good news from today's hearing: Dick Larman, the Executive Director of the Lewis County Economic Development Council (the community was originally opposed to the bill because shutting down the plant threatens jobs), wanted the bill to revert back to Liias' tougher version which mandated a community transition fund (paid for by a decommissioning tax on the TransAlta) beginning asap . The new version puts off any transition fund until 2018.
"The dollars in the bill come at the end ... as you all you know for any development process ... the dollars need to compe up front," Larman said in a surprise shoutout for the Liias version of things .
Last time we checked in on the bill—which phases out the TransAlta coal plant in Centralia— it had been eviscerated to the point that a community transition fund had been done away with, the company's tax break had been kept in place, there was no longer a calendar of milestones for the phase out, and the 2020 deadline for closing down (it was originally supposed to be 2015) wasn't set in stone.
The version that passed today—if possible—was even weaker: The 2020 deadline was removed in favor of an unspecified end date to be negotiated with the company which wants a 2025 end date.
So again, why was the Sierra Club happy. After all, TransAlta had originally been planning to shut down the coal plant by 2025 anyway.
Ridihalgh explained the good news: The bill is still alive (and with people like Rep. Marko Liias in the house, who had proposed a stricter version, in the mix) the possibility exists to strengthen it.
Ridihalgh says TransAlta was so spooked by the existence of the bill that they've begun negotiating again with the governor (they had cut off formal negotiations last year while keeping informal talks in play) for a resolution. With the bill alive as a potential hammer, the negotiations may work their way toward an acceptable deal.
Doug Howell, head of the Sierra Club's Coal Free Washington campaign, said:
We are pleased that progress continues to be made toward the end of dirty and dangerous coal-fired power in Washington. While there are specific elements of concern in the bill that was approved today by the Senate Ways and Means committee, it is critical to keep the bill moving forward in order to give stakeholders a chance to reach an agreement on the fundamental structure of such critical legislation.
And more good news from today's hearing: Dick Larman, the Executive Director of the Lewis County Economic Development Council (the community was originally opposed to the bill because shutting down the plant threatens jobs), wanted the bill to revert back to Liias' tougher version which mandated a community transition fund (paid for by a decommissioning tax on the TransAlta) beginning asap . The new version puts off any transition fund until 2018.
"The dollars in the bill come at the end ... as you all you know for any development process ... the dollars need to compe up front," Larman said in a surprise shoutout for the Liias version of things .
