New targeted tax in WA aims to keep coal power plant shut down

By: Tom Banse

Outlets: Washington State Standard

Published: March 11, 2026

Words: 964

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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Tax legislation Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed Wednesday targets the last coal-fired power plant in the Pacific Northwest.

But if the coal tax and a related climate pollution fee work as the Legislature intended, the state treasury will never collect a dime under the new law. That is because the idled Centralia, Washington, generating plant will be uneconomical to restart burning coal.

The Democratically-controlled Legislature, governor and attorney general are working in concert to …

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