Trump’s energy secretary orders a Washington state coal plant to remain open

The year-end emergency that does exist in Washington state has been caused by record-setting rainfall and widespread flooding. (President Donald Trump has declared a federal emergency and authorized disaster assistance.) Thousands of people have been displaced and damage to major highways will take months to repair.

“It is so ironic, when we have a real emergency, that they picked this time to fabricate an energy emergency,” said KC Golden, a member of the Northwest Power and…