By: Ruth Sawyer, Beyond Coal Organizer
At long last, Washington state is finally on the path beyond coal. In May, the state legislature passed the 100% clean electricity legislation (SB 5116), which prohibits coal-powered electricity in Washington by the end of 2025.
Building off this momentum, we recently received more good news for the climate: On Tuesday, June 11, Puget Sound Energy and Talen Montana announced that Colstrip units 1 and 2, representing 700 megawatts of coal fired power, will be permanently retiring in December of 2019 – more than two years before the previously announced phase out date. The early closure announcement was based firmly on dollars and cents; the owners admitted that the plant was economically inoperable due to rising costs of operations, maintenance, and fuel supply.
Now the two larger units, Colstrip 3 and 4, face an even more challenging economic environment. We have one of the owners on record talking about how an early closure of 1 and 2 would make 3 and 4 more expensive to operate. As the price of coal from the mine continues to increase, our Montana partners are preparing to launch a new challenge against a mine expansion. We can support their fight here in Washington state by ensuring that our local utilities stop propping up Colstrip units 3 and 4 against the explicit intentions of our new clean energy law. Puget Sound Energy, Avista Utilities and Pacific Power in Washington own half of the largest two and remaining units of the Colstrip coal plant in Montana.
PSE is falsely asserting that the Colstrip ownership contract will require their shareholders to keep paying into Colstrip even after state law cuts off ratepayer money in 2025. This is false – and more importantly – it is not a ratepayer problem.
The Colstrip owners and PSE are spending $175 million in new capital expenses (CapEx) on Colstrip now through 2022. This is in addition to the tens of millions each year on Colstrip Operations & Maintenance (O&M) just to keep this dirty, aging and expensive plant in operation. These on-going costs come at the expense of PSE customers who are forced to pay without any benefit.
There’s no reason for PSE to keep pouring money into this dirty and expensive plant. It’s like paying for a new roof you will never use. There is no value in Colstrip upgrades because the plant has hundreds of millions (if not billions) in “negative value” due to the 800 acres of leaking, toxic coal ash waste ponds. PSE customers are getting ripped off. Funding to prop up this plant must stop.
Spread the word: Colstrip is a rip-off for Puget Sound Energy customers! If you are interested in supporting this campaign, please contact ruth.sawyer@sierraclub.org.