Centralia Coal Transition Board Supports Regional Planning Efforts for Infrastructure Upgrades
Centralia, Wash. (June 13, 2024) The Centralia Coal Transition Economic & Community Development Board approved a grant award in the amount of $93,750.00 to support planning for water supply upgrade efforts underway by the City of Centralia and City of Chehalis. The funding will assist with the expense in developing a detailed design of each infrastructure improvement required for water supply upgrade efforts being led by the Centralia Public Works Department. The planning tasks include source capacity evaluation, water quality blending evaluation, wellfield treatment facility planning, transmission and storage capacity evaluation, and Centralia/Chehalis water intertie evaluation.
The Centralia Public Works Department serves drinking water to approximately 20,000 customers within the city limits, Centralia UGA and Lewis County. The primary goal of the department is to provide high quality drinking water, but in addition to that goal, they are planning for future growth and regional water needs, replacing and upgrading aging infrastructure and performing preventative maintenance on water assets.
The Economic & Community Development Board was formed as part of the 2011 Agreement between TransAlta and the state of Washington to transition the Centralia plant away from coal-fired operations with one unit retiring in December 2020 and the second unit in December 2025.
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.