You in the northwest get to have all the fun. After my latest post I
decided to see what was the latest with the Washington Public Power Supply
System (WPPSS better known as WOOPS. Those guys never seem to get it. My
first introduction was when I lived in Spokane in the late 70s and early
80s. At that time they were riding roughshod over the rate payers and
building 5 nuclear plants. By the early 80's reality and cost overruns
forced them into a $2.25 billion bond default, the largest in bond
history. One report indicates that the 25% of the average northwest
electric bill goes to the failed plants. Over the years after the
collapse, energy bills doubled.
At the time only one plant was close to completion. The political jumping
around that followed the collapse had them completing #2 and maybe #3. The
large concrete monuments of the rest were to be put in mothballs. Then
they were trying to sell them to Saudi Arabia for a fish farm.
It seems that they are not done doing the silly dance. Only #2 was
completed and is now the most expensive plant in the nation. It also has
the worst safety record. One mid 90s report suggested they could save $64
million a year if they shut the plant off. A 1999 report suggested $75-100
million savings. The have put out reports showing the plant is very
profitable but the reports leave out such things as cost of fuel and cost
of storing spent fuel.
The plant has been sited for numerous violations including some where plant
employees ambushed and tied another up with duct tape. In one case during
an emergency shut down a valve was left open and when a supervisor was
reminded, said he did not have time to worry about it.
They are trying to sell one plant as an industrial park. and another has to
be torn down but there is no money. Now to reduce the embarrassment of the
WOOPS tag, they have changed their name to Northwest Energy.
Will it never end?
Don Bowen [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Valley Center, CA Senior Software Engineer
Internet development and software engineering
http://members.cts.com/crash/d/donb
http://www.oldengine.org/members/ihc14
http://www.oldengine.org/members/ferguson/
