The MOU reflects a shared interest between TransAlta, governor Gregoire and the Washington state Department of Ecology in reducing emissions while providing Washington citizens and businesses with secure and reliable power.
It sets forth clear objectives and a definitive timeline to develop an agreement to transition the state to cleaner energy sources while protecting jobs and the local economy, the company said.
The MOU follows governor Gregoire’s 2009 Executive Order on Climate Change, which directed the Washington state Department of Ecology to work with TransAlta to reduce the Centralia facility’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
Dawn Farrell, chief operating officer of TransAlta, said: “Since TransAlta acquired the Centralia plant in 2000, we’ve worked closely with the state to reduce the plant’s environmental impact, investing more than $300m into pollution controls and securing significant reductions in emissions.
”MOU represents a commitment by our team to working with governor Gregoire and the state to seek an agreement that would even further reduce emissions while balancing the needs of different stakeholders.”
