Refueling in Progress at Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station

Images courtesy of Energy Northwest

On May 8, Energy Northwest began its 25th refueling of the Columbia Generating Station – a nuclear power plant located near Richland, Washington. During the refueling, the plant is shut down for the duration of the process.

CGS provides electricity to the Northwest grid, including a small amount of the electricity used in Oregon. Energy Northwest strategically times the refueling outage with the Bonneville Power Administration to coincide with spring snow melt and runoff – maximizing power output from the region’s hydroelectric system and minimizing the impact of taking CGS offline.

The planned event takes place over a 40-day span to allow for refueling and maintenance projects. About 1,450 skilled workers, hired locally and from across the country, will join Energy Northwest’s workforce of about 1,000 employees to complete more than 10,000 critical tasks. Some of those tasks include replacing 260 of 764 nuclear fuel assemblies in Columbia’s core with new fuel and replacing or refurbishing a number of other operating components.

Learn more about nuclear power in Oregon in our 2020 Biennial Energy Report, and learn more about how ODOE’s Nuclear Safety and Emergency Preparedness division plans for any potential emergencies at the plant that could affect Oregon.