The Association of Washington Business is on record supporting the new 20-years license for the Columbia Generating Station, Washington's only nuclear power plant
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a standard 40-year operating license to Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station on Dec. 20, 1983. On Jan. 19, 2010, Energy Northwest submitted an application to the NRC to renew Columbia's license for an additional 20 years.
Columbia Generating Station represents about 4% of the Washington’s total electric generating capacity, placing nuclear power fifth behind hydroelectric, natural gas, coal and wind.
For more than 25 years, Columbia has provided valuable electricity to the region and assisted in economic stability to the state by providing clean, affordable energy to more than a million Washington residents. Columbia Generating Station generates 1,150-megawatt of electricity.
As energy demand increases and climate change becomes a significant public policy issue, a diverse mix of clean energy resources will be critical to meet increasing electricity needs. For these reasons, it is imperative to maintain the vast quantity of carbon-free and baseload power Columbia Generating Station provides.