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Richland council approves amendment extending due‑diligence period for Washington Energy land option
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Summary
The Richland City Council on Feb. 3 approved a first amendment extending the due‑diligence/closing date for an option agreement with Washington Energy LLC. Councilmembers voted unanimously to allow additional site work and survey activity; staff said payment terms remain unchanged.
The Richland City Council voted unanimously Feb. 3 to approve a first amendment to an option agreement with Washington Energy LLC that extends the buyer’s due‑diligence and closing window.
The amendment was described by a city staff member and a representative of Washington Energy as a targeted change that moves the closing date to allow the buyer additional time for site surveying and due diligence. “This amendment does not affect the payment schedule,” the company representative said, noting a $50,000 payment is currently held in escrow as the first of two option payments.
Council member Meyer moved to adopt the resolution authorizing the amendment; the motion was seconded and the council approved it by roll call. Mayor Richardson, Mayor Pro Tem Van Dyke, and council members Holton, Jones, Meyer, Witten and Samuel each voted aye.
In a presentation to the council, the Washington Energy representative placed the local option within the company’s broader national strategy related to a reported U.S. Department of Energy task order. He said the task order as published online is valued at approximately $900,000,000,000 and that Richland could be “in play” as the company refines which sites will host future production activity.
Council members asked staff for context on the land’s history; staff said the parcel was part of previous transfers involving the Department of Energy, Tridec, the Port of Benton and the City of Richland tied to the community’s Clean Energy Park vision. Council member Meyer said he had “no opposition to the actual item” but wanted council and staff to ensure broader context and connections to other local efforts were clear before final steps.
The council’s resolution authorizes the city manager to execute the first amendment to the option agreement; staff said the matter will continue to follow the terms of the original agreement apart from the revised due‑diligence schedule.
The amended option agreement was approved during the consent calendar after being pulled for discussion; staff said the change is procedural and does not change the payment schedule or principal terms.
Next steps: the city will continue to coordinate with the buyer and the Port of Benton on site surveying and follow any reporting obligations associated with the option agreement.
