Energy Northwest, an electric generator that already has a nuclear plant outside Richland, Wash., plans to be on hand Sept. 22 when the Department of Energy hosts an industry day for enterprises interested in generating carbon-free electricity at the Hanford Site.
“We have a long relationship leasing DOE land for clean energy generation projects. For almost 40 years we have successfully operated the Columbia Generating Station — our 1,207-megawatt nuclear energy plant — on land leased from DOE,” an Energy Northwest spokesperson said in an email reply Wednesday to Exchange Monitor. “We also own and operate the White Bluffs Solar Station that commenced operation in 2002 and is located on the Hanford site.”
The Columbia nuclear plant is located 10 miles north of Richland, Wash., on land leased from DOE at Hanford.
The Energy Northwest spokesperson confirmed the electricity provider has talked with DOE about leasing more land at Hanford and plans to participate in the Sept. 22 industry day at Richland that DOE announced this week.
For years Energy Northwest has been evaluating a potential small modular reactor project at a site near the Columbia nuclear plant, “and we continue to examine the feasibility of siting new solar and other carbon-free energy projects on leased DOE Hanford land,” the spokesperson said.
In July, Energy Northwest signed a joint development agreement for up to 12 of X-energy’s small modular reactors in central Washington capable of generating up to a total of 960 megawatts of carbon-free electricity, according to a press release.
While Energy Northwest’s nuclear power plant is not inside the DOE security check-point area, it must comply with Nuclear Regulatory Commission security and safeguards standards. It is “inside its own fence,” said David Reeploeg, vice president for federal programs at the Tri-City Development Council.
DOE this week published a request for information seeking information from entities capable of designing, licensing and developing carbon-free electricity projects of at least 200 megawatts. It also announced the industry day scheduled for Sept. 22 at Washington State University Tri-Cities.
