Columbia Generating Station
Benton County, Washington · EIA plant ID 371 · Operator: Energy Northwest- Columbia
Nameplate1,200MWSummer 1,151 MW
Generators1in service
Net generation9,792GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor97%nuclear units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1984
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), nuclear units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 8,250.4 | 85.0% | — |
| 2002 | 9,048.5 | 93.2% | — |
| 2003 | 7,614.7 | 78.5% | — |
| 2004 | 8,981.6 | 91.1% | — |
| 2005 | 8,242.3 | 83.2% | — |
| 2006 | 9,328.3 | 94.2% | — |
| 2007 | 8,108.6 | 81.8% | — |
| 2008 | 9,269.6 | 93.3% | — |
| 2009 | 6,634 | 67.0% | — |
| 2010 | 9,241.1 | 96.2% | — |
| 2011 | 4,806.3 | 50.0% | — |
| 2012 | 9,333.7 | 93.9% | — |
| 2013 | 8,460.9 | 85.3% | — |
| 2014 | 9,497.3 | 95.3% | — |
| 2015 | 8,160.9 | 80.5% | — |
| 2016 | 9,625.6 | 94.5% | — |
| 2017 | 8,128.3 | 78.8% | — |
| 2018 | 9,708.4 | 95.3% | — |
| 2019 | 8,866.5 | 87.0% | — |
| 2020 | 9,427.1 | 93.2% | — |
| 2021 | 8,511.3 | 84.4% | — |
| 2022 | 9,851.5 | 97.7% | — |
| 2023 | 8,435 | 83.7% | — |
| 2024 | 9,967.1 | 98.6% | — |
| 2025 | 7,748.1 | 76.8% | — |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nuclear | ST | 1,200 | 1,151 | Dec 1984 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Energy Northwest- Columbia. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Energy Northwest- Columbia | 100.0% | 1,200 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Potholes East Canal 66.0 | 2 MW | 12 km |
| Eltopia Branch Canal 4.6 | 2 MW | 12 km |
| Horn Rapids Solar, Storage and Training | 4 MW | 13.2 km |
| Chandler | 12 MW | 30 km |
| Russell D Smith | 6 MW | 34.3 km |
| Saddle Mountain East Wind Farm | — | 35.4 km |