CALGARY — TransAlta Corp. says the U.S. Department of Energy has ordered it to keep a coal plant in Washington State online for another three months.

Coal-fired generation had been set to wind down at the Centralia Unit 2 facility by the end of 2025 before the plant was to be retooled to run on cleaner-burning natural gas.

In December, the U.S. government ordered the plant to stay available for operation three months longer than planned, until this week.

The Calgary-based utility says the energy department is now requiring the facility to remain available for another 90 days, until June 14.

TransAlta says it’s evaluating the latest order and will work with state and federal governments.

The company has said the switch from coal to natural gas would cut Centralia’s emissions intensity by half.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2026.

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The Canadian Press