Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, gives a legislative update during the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Forum at O’Blarney’s Irish Pub in Centralia last November.
The state Senate on Friday passed Sen. John Braun’s bill to give a sales tax break to TransAlta, the state’s only coal-fired plant, to convert to a biomass or natural gas-fired facility.
Senators passed the bill 42-6, sending it to the House for consideration.
“The bottom line is it went off the floor with strong support,” Braun, R-Centralia, said, adding that Democrats offered a lot of support.
Bill supporters said it would help to retain jobs that would be lost if the plant shuts down.
He said he’s been speaking with House representatives, hoping to get the bill into and through committee. He said Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, a Democrat representing District 43, is supportive of the bill.
“We’ll continue working on this bill,” Braun said.
If the bill makes it through the session, he said, actions following need to be executed in a way that doesn’t harm the community.
The bill would allow for TransAlta to get a sales tax break on construction for a new or renovated plant to convert from coal to natural gas or biomass energy.
A similar House Bill sponsored by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, made it to the Finance Committee.
Braun told The Chronicle it’s important to encourage TransAlta to make the transition to cleaner energy and make it known the company is welcome in the state and community.
Braun’s proposed tax break follows the state’s 2011 agreement with the plant to reduce emissions.
In 2008, lawmakers enacted the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance Standard, and in 2011 the state set up a schedule for TransAlta to meet the emission reductions by the end of 2025 by potentially closing down.
The Legislature previously approved a $55 million payout from the company for local economic mitigation, and in exchange TransAlta was allowed to sign long-term power sales contracts with utilities.
The first unit at TransAlta in Centralia is scheduled to shut down in 2020, and the second in 2025.
Braun introduced Senate Bill 5575 last session, where it passed the Senate but not make it out of the House.
