Columbia Generating Station
Online · 100% powerEnergy Northwest·Richland, WA·BWR·1,163 MWe
?
Composite Operational Excellence Score (0-100) — average percentile rank across 7 dimensions in three sub-scores: Reliability (capacity factor, forced outage days, B2B avg streak), Efficiency (fuel utilization, refuel duration), and Discipline (startup duration, scram count). 5-year window. Higher = more operationally excellent. Click to see the full breakdown.
Excellence
Rank locked · 93 units
Subscribers
?
Current reactor power level from the most recent NRC daily report.
100%
Power
ONLINE
?
Days of continuous operation since the last outage ended. Ranked against all operating units.
247
Current Run
days
#29 of 95
Mid Quartile
?
Longest recorded period of continuous operation between outages.
703
Record Run
days
#40 of 95
Mid Quartile
?
Breaker-to-Breaker runs — continuous operation exceeding the cycle-adjusted threshold (592 days for this 24-month cycle unit) with no trips to 0% power.
3
B2B Runs
#65 of 86
Mid Quartile
?
Lifetime capacity factor: average power level across all recorded days (100% = always at full power). Ranked against all NRC-tracked units.
86.4%
Capacity Factor
#84 of 95
Bottom Quartile
?
Net electricity actually generated over the most recent 12 months reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (Form EIA-923). These are authoritative actuals, not an estimate.
9.79 TWh
Net Generation
EIA-923 · 12 mo to 2026-07
?
Total NRC-reported scram events (emergency reactor shutdowns). Ranked fleet-wide — fewer scrams = better rank.
5
Scrams
#28 of 94
Mid Quartile
?
Years since commercial operation began. License remaining: 17.2 years.
41.9
Operating Age
years
17.2 yrs remaining
Excellence Score, Records & Plant Facts
Breaker-to-Breaker Runs 3 runs
Breaker-to-breaker runs measure continuous operation between refueling outages using a cycle-adjusted threshold (90% of cycle length minus RFO duration). An active streak means the unit has been running continuously since the last refueling with no trips to 0% power.
Columbia Generating Station has logged 3 breaker-to-breaker runs, continuous stretches from one refueling to the next with no trip to zero power. Its longest ran 691 days, and its runs average 680 days.
691
Best Run (days)
R24 (2019-06-18) → R25 (2021-05-09)
680
Avg Run (days)
All Runs
| 2023-06-19 | 2025-04-12 | 663 days | R26 → R27 |
| 2019-06-18 | 2021-05-09 | 691 days | R24 → R25 |
| 2013-06-23 | 2015-05-10 | 686 days | R21 → R22 |
About This Site
Written by NukeWorker from public records: facts that do not change. Operator, status and capacity come from the live data elsewhere on this page. Sources: Wikipedia: Columbia Generating Station.
Columbia Generating Station is a single-unit nuclear plant on the Hanford Site in Benton County, Washington, about 10 miles north of Richland. It was built by the Washington Public Power Supply System, which became Energy Northwest in 1998, and was originally called WNP-2.
Read more
The construction permit was issued in March 1973. The reactor is a General Electric BWR-5 with Mark II containment. The NRC licensed the plant in 1983, it first produced electricity in May 1984, and it was connected to the grid on May 27, 1984. Commercial operation began on December 13, 1984. Other Supply System projects, including WNP-1, WNP-3, WNP-4 and WNP-5, were cancelled.
Facility Statistics
Key performance and lifecycle metrics calculated from NRC operational data. Includes operating age, construction timeline, capacity factor, efficiency, generation totals, and reliability records.
Columbia Generating Station has operated for about 41.9 years and averaged a 86.4% lifetime capacity factor, generating roughly 241.6 TWh of electricity. Its longest unbroken run reached 703 days.
Lifecycle & Tenure
Operating Age: 41.9 Yrs
Build Time: 11.7 Yrs
Lic. Remaining: 17.2 Yrs
Production & Power
Lifetime CF: 86.4%
Efficiency: 32.8%
Generated: 241.6 TWh
Reliability & Outages
Record Run: 703 Days
Refuelings: 14
Avg Startup: 13.1 Days
Ownership & Construction
The utility or company that owns and operates the facility, the architect-engineer responsible for plant design, and the primary construction contractor. Click names to view all facilities by that entity on the map.
Ownership, operation and management history
No change of owner, operator or management company on record. Our history starts in 1999.
Publicly Traded
No — Washington State joint operating agency
Operational Excellence Score Subscribers
Columbia Generating Station is rated 0 to 100 on how well it actually runs, scored against every other operating reactor in the US fleet from its own operating record. Subscribers see the score, the three sub-scores behind it, and each of the seven measured inputs.
- This unit's composite score and fleet rank
- Reliability, Efficiency and Discipline sub-scores
- All seven measured inputs, with fleet percentiles
- Rank against comparable units, not just the fleet
- Three-year, five-year and lifetime windows
- Five-year trend, and every other operating US reactor
Included with every outage subscription and with NukeWorker Gold membership. Trading the outage rather than working it? The same record, cut by power market, is on NukeGryd.
Scram History 5 events since 2011
Automatic and manual reactor scram (emergency shutdown) events reported to the NRC since 2011. Includes event dates, trip type, and average recovery time. Click the title to view the full fleet scram dashboard.
Columbia Generating Station has recorded 5 reactor scrams, or emergency shutdowns, since 2011 (2 automatic, 3 manual). On average the unit was back to full power about 13.4 days after each trip.
Technical Specs
Reactor design specifications including type (PWR/BWR), containment design, nuclear steam supply system manufacturer, thermal and electrical power ratings, and current operational status.
Reactor Type:
BWR
Containment:
BWR-MARK 2
NSS Supplier:
GE 5
Turbine Supplier:
WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORPORATION IAEA
Thermal Power:
3544 MWt
Net Capacity:
1163 MWe
Gross Capacity:
1,190 MWe IAEA
Design Capacity:
1,100 MWe IAEA
Efficiency:
32.8%
Status:
Operating
Lifetime Output:
303.4 TWh through 2025 IAEA
Licensing
NRC licensing history including docket number, license type and number, construction permit date, operating license issuance, commercial operation date, license renewal, and expiration date.
Docket #:
05000397
License #:
NPF-21
License Type:
OL-FP
Const. Permit:
1973-03-19
Construction Start:
1972-08-01 IAEA
Operating Lic:
1984-04-13
First Criticality:
1984-01-19 IAEA
Grid Connection:
1984-05-27 IAEA
Commercial Op:
1984-12-13
License Renewed:
2012-05-22
License Exp:
2043-12-20
Market & Region
EIA market and grid-region classifications: NERC reliability region, U.S. Census region, balancing authority responsible for grid operations, and whether the unit operates as a rate-regulated utility or a competitive merchant generator. Hover any value for the full name.
NERC Region:
WECC
— Western Electricity Coordinating Council
Census Region:
PACC
— Pacific Contiguous (OR, WA, CA)
Balancing Authority:
BPAT
— Bonneville Power Administration Transmission
Market Structure:
Regulated
— Rate-regulated utility (cost-of-service pricing)