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Energy Northwest

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Energy Northwest (formerly Washington Public Power Supply System ) is a public power joint operating agency in the northwest United States, formed in 1957 by Washington state law to produce at-cost power for Northwest utilities. Headquartered in the Tri-Cities at Richland, Washington , the WPPSS became commonly (and derisively) known as "Whoops!", due to over-commitment to nuclear power in the 1970s which brought about financial collapse and the second largest municipal bond default in U.S. history. WPPSS was renamed Energy Northwest in November 1998, and agency membership includes 28 public power utilities, including 23 of the state's 29 public utility districts .

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35-475: Energy Northwest is governed by two boards: an executive board and a board of directors. The executive board has 11 members: five representatives from the board of directors, three gubernatorial appointees and three public representatives selected by the board of directors. The board of directors includes a representative from each member utility. The consortium's nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, and battery storage projects deliver nearly 1,400 megawatts of electricity to

70-525: A popular entrance to the Goat Rocks Wilderness and surrounding area. The lake is also used as a stopping ground for travellers headed to Mosquito and Lost Lakes to the north, and Gilbert Peak to the southeast. An all-terrain vehicle trail (the 'low trail') was completed some years ago and offers ATV and horse access to the lake. The 'upper trail' is reserved for hikers and horses. Both trails, upper and lower, are approximately 5 miles (8 km) to

105-547: A production capacity of 38.7 kilowatts DC. Energy Northwest next built and continues to operate the region's first public power wind project – Nine Canyon Wind Project. It was dedicated in October 2002, with a second phase going online in December 2003, and the third and final phase in service in May 2008, bringing the total capacity to 95.9 megawatts. Energy Northwest's latest development is

140-452: A program of conservation and alternative energy sources instead of participation in the nuclear plants. Managing director Neil Strand resigned in February 1980, after being under fire for several months due to the cost overruns and construction delays at the five nuclear power plants. He had been in the lead position for nearly three years. In January 1982, cost overruns and delays, along with

175-580: A result of the company's emissions scandal . WNP-3/5 would have been pressurized water reactors , with the nuclear steam supply system provided by Combustion Engineering . The architect/engineer for the plant was EBASCO , who also were responsible for plant construction. Like contemporary C-E designs, the System-80 NSSS in each unit would have featured a two-loop design, with two steam generators, four reactor coolant pumps and one pressurizer to maintain reactor coolant system pressure. The System-80 NSSS

210-611: A slowing of electricity demand growth, led to cancellation of two WPPSS plants and a construction halt on the two-reactor Satsop Nuclear Power Plant which was 75% complete. Seventeen months later in June 1983, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled the long-term take-or-pay contracts to buy the power produced by the project were illegal. The next month, in July 1983, WPPSS defaulted on $ 2.25 billion of municipal bonds , which

245-567: A two-pole endorsement is not allowed. Satsop Nuclear Power Plant Washington Nuclear Project Nos. 3 and 5 , abbreviated as WNP-3 and WNP-5 (collectively known as the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant ) were two of the five nuclear power plants on which construction was started by the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS, also called "Whoops!" ) in order to meet projected electricity demand in

280-440: Is approximately 160 feet (49 m). The island in the lake is officially named Agnes Island, and also referred to by locals as both Wizard Island or Enchantment Island. The island is protected by the U.S. Forest Service and no landings are permitted there. Packwood Lake is home to a genetically distinct species of rainbow trout . This trout has evolved for over a thousand years, separated from other populations of fish . It

315-422: Is glacier-fed Upper and Lower Lake Creeks, which descend from Old Snowy Mountain . The lake is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 0.6 miles (0.97 km) wide. The lake is held in place by a natural dam. Approximately 1,200 years ago, Snyder Mountain, which borders the lake to the northwest, broke and slid down into the (then) Lake Creek valley, effectively plugging it and forming the lake. Maximum depth

350-408: Is known for its excellent taste, large size, and drab creamy coloring. Due to many years of stocking, however, the fish is becoming less and less prominent as its gene pool becomes diluted by stocked fish. Also calling this lake home are several species of birds, including heron , bald eagle , and wood duck . Black bears are also fairly common, as are deer , elk , raccoon , cougar , and (in

385-486: Is the second largest municipal bond default in U.S. history. The court case that followed took nearly a decade to resolve, and WPPSS acquired the nickname "Whoops" in the media. Fuel loading at Columbia Generating Station began on December 25, 1983, and proceeded at a rate of 50 fuel assemblies per day. The process was completed January 12, 1984, and Columbia was declared in commercial operation December 13, 1984. On January 19, 2010, Energy Northwest submitted an application to

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420-685: The Gifford Pinchot National Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington . It is located near the town of Packwood and is a popular day hiking and overnight camping area. The southern half of the lake lies within the Goat Rocks Wilderness area. The lake was named after William Packwood, an early settler. Packwood Lake lies at approximately 2,857 feet (871 m) above sea level and about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Mount Rainier . Its main source of water

455-554: The Washington State Grange , a non-partisan, grassroots advocacy group for rural citizens with both legislative programs and community activities. Public utility districts were created to provide reliable, low-cost power for the growing state. On January 31, 1957, the state legislature created the Washington Public Power Supply System, now known as Energy Northwest, as a joint operating agency to share

490-516: The Horn Rapids Solar, Storage and Training project which went online in November 2020. The project is a 4-megawatt direct current solar generating array of photovoltaic panels, owned and operated by Tucci Energy Services. Energy Northwest owns and operates the co-located 1-MW/4MWh battery energy storage system. Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project Packwood Lake is a freshwater lake in

525-463: The Northwest power grid. Current power projects include White Bluffs Solar Station , Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project , Nine Canyon Wind Project , Horn Rapids Solar, Storage and Training Project and Columbia Generating Station nuclear power plant . Energy Northwest functions as a municipal corporation , similar to a town or city. That legal status allows the agency to issue public bonds to raise

560-509: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a 20-year license renewal of Columbia Generating Station. This renewal was granted in May 2012 and the 1116 megawatt plant is currently licensed for operation to December 20, 2043. The agency built and continues to operate White Bluffs Solar Station demonstration project, which was dedicated in May 2002. The low-maintenance, environmentally friendly project uses 242 photovoltaic panels to reach

595-609: The Pacific Northwest. WNP-1 , WNP-2 and WNP-3 were part of the original 1968 plan, with WNP-4 (a twin to WNP-1 and located at the same site) and WNP-5 (a twin to WNP-3, in similar fashion) added in the early 1970s. WNP-2 was the only unit of the five that was completed and put into operation. WNP-3 and WNP-5 are located on 1,600 acres (650 ha) on the Satsop Site near Elma in Grays Harbor County, Washington . Today

630-598: The agency made a successful pitch to be the non-federal operator of the steam generator half of the project. President Kennedy presided over the groundbreaking in September 1963. Commercial operation of the 860-megawatt Hanford Generating Project began in April 1966. For the agency, under the regionally developed Hydro-Thermal Power Program, the 1970s brought the challenge of attempting to simultaneously construct multiple nuclear power plants. Over-commitment to nuclear power brought about

665-400: The financial capital necessary to build additional power generating and other public utility facilities. The agency also provides a variety of business services in the energy, power generation and technical fields, including a range of project management and facility operations and maintenance services. The public power movement gained prominence in the 1920s and 1930s under the leadership of

700-468: The financial collapse of the Washington Public Power Supply System, which undertook to build five large nuclear power plants in the 1970s. Other groups, including the city of Seattle, questioned the feasibility of the project. In July 1976, the Seattle City Council voted against participating in the building of the project 4 and 5 nuclear power plants based, citing a 12-volume study that recommended

735-406: The higher elevations above the lake) mountain goats . Packwood Lake has been used for several thousand years by Native Americans as summer quarters and hunting territory. Due to extremely cold winters and subsequent heavy snows, the area is considered largely uninhabitable during the winter. Prospectors thoroughly searched the area of the lake in the early 1920s. Although some gold and silver

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770-406: The lake and surrounding area home. The actual dam structure is only a couple of feet tall, creating only a small holding pond which feeds the penstock . Water from Packwood Lake is also piped to the town of Packwood and supplies the greater Packwood area. Packwood lake is a popular hiking destination for both day hikers and campers. The trail leading to the lake, Packwood Lake Trail #78, is also

805-463: The lake from a well-maintained and paved parking lot. Continuing past the lake, hikers are offered hundreds of miles of trails covering breathtaking scenery, and the Pacific Crest Trail may be reached about 7 miles (11.3 km) beyond the lake. The lake itself is a very popular fishing hole and may be fished from shore or paddle boat ( motors are prohibited). Additionally, fishing with

840-510: The project for a period of 40 years. In September 1962, Congress passed and President John F. Kennedy signed a bill authorizing construction of a new dual-purpose nuclear reactor (the N Reactor ) on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation . It was designed to produce both weapons-grade plutonium and steam to power turbine generators – thus its designation as a dual-purpose reactor. With support from U.S. Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson ,

875-410: The public for a vote. Prior to I-394, WPPSS had the authority to issue bonds without voter consent as a municipal corporation. Just a few years later, with the failure of WPPSS to sell nearly US$ 961,000,000 (equivalent to $ 3,034,110,000 in 2023) in bonds to complete the project, WNP-3 was placed in an extended construction delay in July 1983 while nearly 76 percent complete. Construction on WNP-5

910-565: The risks and rewards of building and operating electrical generating facilities. The power was to be provided, at the cost of production, to the ratepayers of those public utilities participating in the agency's new projects. The first generating source to be developed was the Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project, located in Lewis County, Washington State approximately 20 miles south of Mount Rainier. The 27.5 megawatt project

945-558: The site hosts the Satsop Business Park and the Overstock.com Call Center. WPPSS applied for a construction and operation permit in 1973, and both WNP-3 and WNP-5 started construction in 1977. Cost overruns led to major management changes at all five WPPSS nuclear plants in 1980. Bechtel was appointed the construction manager for WNP-1, 2 and 4 at Hanford and EBASCO brought in a new management team for WNP-3 and 5 at Elma. WNP-3

980-444: The site were retained by WPPSS for development of a combustion turbine electric generating plant, which later came to fruition as the combined-cycle Grays Harbor Energy Center . Grays Harbor provides 650 MW of electric generation and came on-line in 2008, with an additional 650 MW of generation approved but not yet constructed. In 2018, the grounds were used to store thousands of diesel Volkswagen vehicles that had been recalled as

1015-416: Was WPPSS's showcase project and construction advanced at an estimated rate of 2% per month under the leadership of the new management team brought in by EBASCO. Washington state voters put Initiative 394 (I-394) on the ballot for November 1981, which asked in its title "Shall public agencies obtain voter approval prior to issuing bonds for the construction or acquisition of major public energy projects?" I-394

1050-486: Was aimed directly at the five nuclear projects being built by WPPSS, with the Statement For, written by supporters, citing the rise in the estimated construction budget for the five plants, which had grown from an initial estimate of US$ 4.1 billion to US$ 24 billion. Despite being outspent by a margin of nearly seven-to-one, I-394 passed overwhelmingly, meaning that WPPSS would have to submit future bond issues to

1085-525: Was designed to be capable of burning mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. Since being abandoned, the site has served as the filming site for a number of projects. The site is operated as the Satsop Business Park by the Port of Grays Harbor, and daily filming rates were established in 2013. Local artist Etsuko Ichikawa filmed "Echo at Satsop" in 2013 as a reaction to the 2011 tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi . An independent movie, Depth , based on

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1120-478: Was designed to produce electricity while protecting the natural environment. Packwood continues to produce power into its sixth decade of operation. In February 2008, Energy Northwest submitted an application to renew the project's operating license to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission . In October 2018, FERC issued the renewed operating license to Energy Northwest to operate and maintain

1155-475: Was found, the small quantities and remoteness of the area proved mining to be not economical. Packwood Lake was dammed in 1964 to produce electricity . There is a small 27- megawatt dam at the foot of the lake which has taken over the job of holding back the lake from the Snyder Mountain landslide. Great care was used when designing and building the dam so as not to affect the abundant wildlife that calls

1190-555: Was terminated in 1999 and the ownership of the site was transferred to the Satsop Redevelopment Project. Under contemporary plans, none of the existing structures were slated for demolition, although some equipment (such as the WNP-3 turbine) was to be removed and existing buildings were to be reconfigured to support the conversion of the site to an industrial, business or research park. Approximately 22 acres (8.9 ha) of

1225-513: Was terminated in January 1982 while only 16 percent complete. Of the original five proposed nuclear units, only WNP-2 was completed and put into operation. Equipment at WNP-3 was preserved to allow a restart of construction if regional energy demand warranted it. In 1994, the WPPSS board adopted a resolution to terminate WNP-3, and preservation funding was discontinued in 1995. Construction Permit CPPR-154

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