PORT WESTWARD

Operating

Natural Gas power plant

Capacity
483 MW
Primary fuel
Natural Gas
County
Columbia County
Operator
PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
Status
Operating
Commissioned
2007
EIA plant ID
56227
Generators
2
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
Net generation (2024)
2,753 GWh
Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
65%
Data vintage
EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
Coordinates
46.1788, -123.1720

See it on the map

PORT WESTWARD, a 483 MW Natural Gas power plant in Columbia County, Oregon. Operated by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, commissioned 2007.

How PORT WESTWARD compares

With 483 MW of capacity, PORT WESTWARD ranks 9th among the 130 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Oregon and 5th of the 10 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 13% of Oregon's operating Natural Gas capacity and 3.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 341st-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2007, it is newer than 63% 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, BEAVER.

EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 483 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 2,753 GWh in 2024 (a 65% capacity factor), up 18% from 2022.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is PORT WESTWARD (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 1,070 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BEAVER (611 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

PORT WESTWARD is a 483 MW natural gas power plant in Columbia County, OR, operated by PORTLAND GENERAL ELECTRIC CO, commissioned in 2007. 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.

1.5 of 5Modeled catastrophe exposure
LowExposure band
EarthquakeLeading peril
Relatively LowFEMA county risk rating

Columbia County hazard ratings

PerilFEMA ratingNational percentilePeril scoreEvents per year
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate97th4.9 of 50.02
Riverine floodingRelatively Low82nd4.3 of 50.43
Coastal floodingRelatively Low81st4.3 of 52.5
Heat waveRelatively Moderate65th3.6 of 54.9
Strong windRelatively Low49th3.0 of 50.05
Ice stormRelatively Low30th2.2 of 50.90
WildfireVery Low26th2.0 of 5<0.01
Winter weatherRelatively Low22nd1.9 of 513.0
HailVery Low11th1.4 of 50.05
TornadoVery Low10th1.4 of 50.06
LightningVery Low2nd1.1 of 55.6

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.

PerilWhy it is not scored
HurricaneFEMA 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.