COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION
OperatingNuclear power plant
- Capacity
- 1,200 MW
- Primary fuel
- Nuclear
- County
- Benton County
- Operator
- ENERGY NORTHWEST
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1984
- EIA plant ID
- 371
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Nuclear
- Net generation (2024)
- 9,967 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 95%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 46.4717, -119.3345
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION, a 1,200 MW Nuclear power plant in Benton County, Washington. Operated by ENERGY NORTHWEST, commissioned 1984.
How COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION compares
With 1,200 MW of capacity, COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION ranks 4th among the 126 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Washington. It accounts for about 4.0% of all operating capacity in Washington. Nationally it is the 41st-largest of the 55 operating Nuclear plants in the database. Commissioned in 1984, it is older than 52% of the 125 operating Washington plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ENERGY NORTHWEST, runs 3 operating plants in Washington totaling 1,323 MW. It shares Benton County with 3 other operating plants, including NINE CANYON and CHANDLER.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 1,200 MW of nameplate capacity, all nuclear technology. Net generation was 9,967 GWh in 2024 (a 95% capacity factor), up 1% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION (500 kV), under 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 500 kV line owned by BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 23 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CHANDLER (12 MW, Hydro).
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
COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION is a 1,200 MW nuclear power plant in Benton County, WA, operated by ENERGY NORTHWEST, commissioned in 1984. Benton County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.3 of 5 at the 7th national percentile. Wildfire is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 95th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Benton County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | 0.39 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 69th | 3.8 of 5 | 7.9 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 7.4 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.29 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.06 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 7.9 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 6th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.21 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 0th | 1.0 of 5 | 0.23 |
Perils not assessed in Benton 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 |
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Benton 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.