How Washington government, environmentalists and labor groups decided to close the state's only coal plant

Dozens of coal plants have closed in Pennsylvania over the past two decades, as they struggled to compete with cheaper natural gas.  Recent proposals in Harrisburg for a carbon price–that could reduce pollution while sending some money to help those communities–have been held up by opponents who s…

Hydrogen, fish, and live music: A community in transition

Thirteen years ago, a coal-fired power plant in Centralia, Washington made a deal with that state to close by 2025 and give 55 million dollars to help the community transition.  As Pennsylvania plants have closed, similar funds were not set up.  The transition money was divided into three pots: n…

What's next for the Washington city losing its coal plant

The small city of Centralia in Washington state had a chance to plan for the end of a major fossil-fuel based employer, thanks to a deal with that state that provided a 55 million dollar transition fund.  Now, several studies have shown that the “Centralia approach” helped grow income and jobs at …