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Columbia Generating Station Sets Longest Run Record of 683 Days by Staff Tri-City Herald, May 9, 2015

Energy Northwest's nuclear power plant set a record early Saturday for its longest continuous operational run.

When the reactor at Columbia Generating Station was shut down for a scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, the station had been operating for 683 days straight.

It was the first time the plant achieved a "breaker to breaker" run in its 30-year history, according to Energy Northwest officials. During that time, Columbia produced nearly 18 million megawatt-hours of electricity and operated at a more than 98 percent capacity factor, a news release said.

The previous record of 505 days, set in April 2011, was broken in November.

Columbia Generating Station sells its power at-cost to the Bonneville Power Administration, and 92 Northwest utilities receive a percentage of its output.

Energy Northwest is spending a budgeted $106 million on this outage, with about $28.5 million of that capital costs. A portion of the fuel in the plant is replaced every two years, with this outage expected to last 42 days.