BEAVER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 611 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Columbia County
- Operator
- PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1974
- EIA plant ID
- 8073
- Generators
- 8
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,713 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 32%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 46.1733, -123.1745
BEAVER, a 611 MW Natural Gas power plant in Columbia County, Oregon. Operated by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, commissioned 1974.
How BEAVER compares
With 611 MW of capacity, BEAVER ranks 7th among the 130 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Oregon and 3rd of the 10 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 17% of Oregon's operating Natural Gas capacity and 4.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 251st-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 1974, it is older than 65% of the 128 operating Oregon plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, runs 14 operating plants in Oregon totaling 2,366 MW. It shares Columbia County with one other operating plant, PORT WESTWARD.
EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 611 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 1,713 GWh in 2024 (a 32% capacity factor), up 96% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1974 and 2001.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BEAVER (230 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 5 operating power plants totaling 942 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is PORT WESTWARD (483 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
BEAVER is a 611 MW natural gas power plant in Columbia County, OR, operated by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, commissioned in 1974. Columbia County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.5 of 5 at the 13th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Columbia County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 0.43 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively Low | 81st | 4.3 of 5 | 2.5 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 4.9 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 49th | 3.0 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 30th | 2.2 of 5 | 0.90 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 26th | 2.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | 13.0 |
| Hail | Very Low | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | 5.6 |
Perils not assessed in Columbia County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Hurricane | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Columbia County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.