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Columbia Generating Station resumes operation after manual shutdown; FSEC to lead SEPA review of proposed warehouses
Summary
Energy Northwest reported a manual shutdown Feb. 12 to repair a cooling‑system electrical filter; Columbia returned to the grid Feb. 17 and is ramping to full power. Energy Northwest also requested FSEC serve as lead SEPA agency for two warehouses and FSEC issued an addendum finding no likely significant adverse impacts and opened a 14‑day comment period.
Energy Northwest told the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council Feb. 18 that Columbia Generating Station experienced a manual shutdown on Feb. 12 after an electrical filter failure in an adjustable‑speed‑drive glycol cooling system caused reactor recirculation pumps to trip; operators completed repairs and testing and the station returned to the grid Feb. 17 at about 3:30 p.m.
"Columbia returned to the grid yesterday, February 17, at about 03:30PM," Katie Hall said when updating the council. She added operators were gradually raising power toward 100% and that the station remained in a “safe, stable condition throughout the outage and restart activities.”
Separately, Energy Northwest requested that FSEC serve as the SEPA lead agency for a proposed project to construct two 16,500‑square‑foot warehouses and associated laydown yards on approximately 5.7 acres of previously disturbed land adjacent to the existing facility. Sean Green (FSEC) reported that FSEC staff issued an addendum to the Columbia Generating Station EIS recording a SEPA determination of no likely significant adverse impacts and uploaded the addendum to the SEPA register. FSEC opened a 14‑day public comment period beginning Feb. 18 and running through March 3.
Council members thanked Energy Northwest for the update and acknowledged the significance of Columbia to regional system resilience during winter operations. Staff said they will accept public comments during the specified 14‑day period and proceed with the SEPA process.
