Northwest's largest coal-fired plant to shut down by 2025

It's 14 years off in the future. But a compromise deal will shut down the Northwest's largest coal-fired power plant near Centralia. Legislation is headed to the governor's desk following a vote Thursday in the Washington senate.

Republican Dan Swecker was among those who crossed the aisle and joined Democrats in passing the legislation.

"It is supported in the community where I reside. It gives us a chance to phase-out of the coal electric production and move into other alternatives. It's reasonable, it's timely. It's a step forward."

The TransAlta plant in southwest Washington is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the state. The company will have until 2025 to move away from coal.

Environmentalists had originally sought a 2015 deadline. But by 2020 TransAlta will have to cut its coal-burning in half.

The legislation is the result of months of negotiations between the company, environmentalists, key lawmakers and the governor.