To the casual observer, it might be assumed that TransAlta was required to invest $55 million in community projects as part of its deal with the state to shut down its coal-fired operations.
It’s important to be clear that’s not the case.
TransAlta’s announcement of the funds Thursday morning represented the fulfillment of a promise, a rare case of a company providing far more than lip service to the idea of helping the community where it operates.
The Canadian-based company has a long history of donating millions of dollars to various causes in Lewis County and South Thurston County.
The $55 million promised to a trio of committees chaired by local leaders is far beyond all previous allocations combined.
There was no legislative gun to the company’s head.
A stipulation in an agreement with the state to close the two coal-fired units in the facility by 2020 and 2025 was that the money would only be donated if the company acquired long-term contracts totaling 500 megawatts.
They fell short of that mark, and therefore could have walked away with an extra $55 million.
The company’s president of U.S. entities Bob Nelson said talks of taking that route never took hold. Leaders in the company quickly made the decision to deliver the money anyway.
“We’re invested in this community, and it was the right thing to do,” he told The Chronicle Thursday.
Regardless of your thoughts on coal, TransAlta is an example of a company that has consistently done right by the community in which it operates.
The closure of the coal mine almost a decade ago sent shockwaves through the region, eliminating hundreds of family-wage jobs and leaving a hole in the local tax base that has never been filled. The company’s future is unclear as it decides how to potentially convert the facility to use other resources — such as natural gas — before its coal operations come to an end.
The $55 million will go a long way to softening the blow on employees and the community, providing retraining, weatherization, investment funds for energy projects and dozens of other uses.
It will be delivered in annual increments of $4.6 million, which will be split by committees led by proven community leaders Bob Guenther, Debbie Campbell and Alicia Bull.
The company has put the money in the hands of three people who know best how to make the most of it. They’re supported by committee members filled with like-minded individuals from across the region.
Read the details in today’s story on the front page.
TransAlta deserves our collective appreciation for choosing to better the community that has provided it a home and workforce over the years.
