Editing Tri-Cities, Washington (section)

===Columbia Generating Station===

The [[Columbia Generating Station]] operates ten miles outside of Richland and is the only nuclear power station in the Pacific Northwest. It uses a boiling water reactor with a type 5 layout and was relicensed 10 years to operate until 2043.<ref>John Pearson,[http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/07/columbia_generating_station_wh.html "Columbia Generating Station: Why relicense a nuclear power plant 10 years early?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080706/http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/07/columbia_generating_station_wh.html |date=March 4, 2016 }} The Oregonian, July 30, 2012</ref> After nine years of construction, the plant began operating after a long and costly construction process that resulted in the largest [[municipal bond]] [[default (finance)|default]] in U.S. history.<ref name="historylink.org">David Wilma [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5482 "Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619151427/http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5482 |date=June 19, 2015 }} Historylink, date last accessed October 17, 2013</ref> Originally operated and owned by the [[Washington Public Power Supply System]] (WPPSS), the coalition changed its name to Energy Northwest in 1998 because of the negative association with the original name (commonly pronounced "Whoops" in place of WPPSS).<ref name="historylink.org"/> WPPSS defaulted on $2.25&nbsp;billion in bonds resulting in payments that exceeded $12,000 per customer, an amount which was finally paid out in 1992 (10 years later).<ref name="historylink.org"/><ref>From Times Staff [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-04-fi-1232-story.html "Other News"] LA Times, November 4, 1992</ref><ref>James T. Bennett and Thomas J. DiLorenzo [http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/wppss-default-not-only-budget-boondoggle The WPPSS Default: Not the Only Off-Budget Boondoggle] CATO Institute, October 14, 1983</ref> Its 1,190 gross megawatts can power the city of Seattle, and is equivalent to about 10 percent of the electricity generated in Washington and 4 percent of all electricity used in the Pacific Northwest  <ref name="energy-northwest.com"/> and has several safeguards to protect against seismic, natural, or terrorist threats.<ref>Jeff Humpfrey [https://web.archive.org/web/20131019120833/http://www.kxly.com/news/Is-Columbia-Generating-Station-Safe/-/101270/680194/-/dg7iyq/-/index.html "Is Columbia Generating Station Safe?"] KXLY, September 9, 2011</ref>