Inslee wants state off coal power

By Phuong Le, The Associated Press
Yakima Herald

SEATTLE – With an abundant supply of hydroelectric power, Washington state currently gets less than 14 percent of its electricity from coal.

Gov. Jay Inslee wants to take that down to zero over time.

To wean the state off coal-generated power, the Democratic governor will have to persuade the state’s three private electric utilities – Puget Sound Energy, Pacific Power and Avista Corp. – to reduce or eliminate electricity they get from plants in Montana and Wyoming.

The utilities say coal-fired electricity is reliable and cost-effective and only part of a diverse portfolio that includes hydropower, natural gas and wind, and for now coal appears to be a part of their long-term energy plans. Read more