In the 1973, Portland General Electric applied to build a nuclear power plant southeast of Arlington, Oregon, with the warm, fuzzy name Pebble Springs. Two uranium dioxide-fueled PWR units were expected to generate a combined 1890MW (later 2520) of electrical power at full capacity. The plant also was to feature a three-square mile cooling circuit reservoir with water pumped from the Columbia River. PGE selected Bechtel as the architect/engineering contractor. Of railroad relevance, a long spur was to go down Alkali Canyon and connect Pebble Springs to UP’s Condon Branch.
Construction was targeted at ~1976 and completion in 1982 at a projected $2.9 billion (2018). Unfortunately during the final stages, costs increased and PGE became burdened in litigation against Bechtel over defects at downstream Trojan NPP. These factors along with powerful western Oregon politicians, resulted in Pebble Springs’ delay and cancellation in September 1982.
However attempts at nuclear power in the northwest weren’t all in vain — the 1116 MW WPN-2 (now the Columbia Nuclear Generating Station) was completed in 1984.
There’s even more to come! We have stuff about the smaller Boardman nuclear project — now a coal plant.