Washington State is Becoming a Major Nuclear Energy Hub

This article by John Stang was originally published in the Washington State Standard. It has been shortened. It is republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Washington spent much of the 1970s trying to become a center for nuclear power, with plans for five huge fission reactors at Richland and Satsop.

Fast forward to today.

Again, Washington is trying to become a hub for nuclear power. But instead of monster-size reactors, the state is now home to multiple ventures involving smaller reactors — all using technologies unheard of in the 1970s and 1980s.

One of the first commercially viable fusion reactors in the U.S. is under construction roughly 6 miles southeast of Wenatchee. It’s expected to be working by 2028, with power going to Microsoft.

Efforts are also underway to develop a different type of fusion reactor in Everett and Richland. These would be small portable units. 

Two Republican Washington state legislators — with high-ranking Democratic cosponsors — have introduced similar 2026 nuclear fission power reactor bills in the Senate and House. 

The bills, which do not mention fusion power, call for developing a nuclear power development master plan for Washington state by Dec. 15, 2026.