Centralia Coal Transition Board Awards Grant to Covington Water District
Centralia, (May 5, 2025) The Centralia Coal Transition Grants Energy Technology Board is pleased to announce it has approved a grant in the amount of $300,000.00 to the Covington Water District to support energy upgrades. This grant award will be leveraged with a grant through Washington Department of Commerce’s Building Electrification Grant Program.
The Covington Water District energy upgrades will align with their proactive technical energy audit as they develop future capital projects to achieve resilience and grid independence while maximizing efficiencies for the district. The project will provide new switchgear, battery energy storage and back-up, microgrid controller and upsized neutral wiring from existing panels to the turbine building. It will modify the existing switchgear to allow for the generator to operate parallel to the power grid. The anticipated outcome is that the district’s turbine will be used in lieu of the conventional diesel generator during grid outages.
Covington Water District was formed in 1960, with less than a hundred customers primarily around Lake Morton. Over the years, a number of small districts merged into Covington Water District and more customers were added as development occurred. The district is responsible for providing clean, safe and reliable water to a 55-mile area in South King County, serving a population of over 50,000 through 18,000+ connections to residential homes, apartments, small farms, commercial, governmental, schools and medical facilities.
The Energy Technology Board was formed as a result of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington. This agreement allowed for the Centralia plant to move away from coal-fired operations with one unit retiring in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025. TransAlta is investing $55 million in Lewis and South Thurston counties and the state of Washington through the Coal Transition Boards.
About Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards
Overview of the Centralia Coal Transition Funding Boards:
Weatherization Board ($10M): established to fund energy efficiency and weatherization for the residents, employees, business, non-profit organizations and local governments within Lewis County and South Thurston County; up to $1 million shall be allocated to fund residential energy efficiency and weatherization measures for low-income and moderate-income residents of Lewis County and South Thurston County;
Economic & Community Development Board ($20M): established to fund education, retraining, economic development, and community enhancement; at least $5M shall be allocated to fund education, retraining and economic development specifically targeting the needs of workers displaced from the Centralia facility;
Energy Technology Board ($25M): established to fund energy technologies with the potential to create environmental benefits to the state of Washington.