On Tuesday of last week more than 500 Washington citizens came together at the state capitol to push for legislative priorities selected by twenty-five leading environmental groups.  Washington faces many challenges this year, from protecting waterways from oil pollution to defending environmental agencies against budget cuts.  However in my own view the importance of one of this year’s priorities stands out more than any other: the push to transition Washington off the dirty TransAlta Coal Plant. 

More than any other action the state could take, replacing TransAlta with clean energy would slash Washington’s carbon footprint and protect public health from pollution.  Washington environmental groups like the Sierra Club are engaged in an all-out effort to secure a coal free future this year, pushing state legislation that would phase out coal combustion while setting up a fund to prepare the community of Centralia (where the plant is located) for new sources of industry.  Unsurprisingly, students have become an important part of this movement.