July, 2024
I’ve driven out Highway 8 a number of times … out to the coast, to go camping out there, to visit friends out there, or even just for a day’s drive, etc. Several times I noticed the two cooling towers of the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant off to the south of Highway 8 (photo below). I didn’t much like seeing that, but it is what it is, yes?
So on this camping trip, I drove through the very small town of Satsop (notice the town has the same name as the nuclear power plant) to get to Schafer State Park. The Nuclear Power Plant was named after this small town. And yet, the power plant wasn’t adjacent to the town, or really very near the town, or so it seemed to me.
But the two nuclear cooling towers were obvious even from the small road that led through the very small town of Satsop. I knew nothing much about the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant, the workings or the processes of this nuclear power plant. But it called to me. I wanted to learn what there was to learn. So today I paid attention to the questions in my mind, and drove south from the town of Satsop to check it out. Satsop Nuclear Power Plant here I come!
Photo below … the two cooling towers of the nuclear power plant as seen from the small country road that led through the very small town of Satsop. As the bird flies, those cooling towers are about 3.2 miles from where I was on that small road when I took that photo. (Click to enlarge photos.)
The image below is from Google Earth … it’s a bird’s eye view looking straight down at the power plant facility. The two huge cooling towers are obvious. The RED arrow is the road I took to drive into the facility. I assumed, of course, that I would not be allowed onto the grounds, much less anywhere near the workings of the nuclear stuff.
The bottom line on the sign below said it all … “Trespassers will be prosecuted”. Ok, then, I was ready to stop at the gate and turn around and go away.
But … there was no gate! No gate, no guards, and no more signs. I drove onto the grounds VERY slowly in case anyone did want to stop me. But no one did.
I was amazed to get so close to the cooling towers … one in the photo below. And yet, I noticed the hundreds of bags in the photo below and thought that was odd.
Wood shavings?! Next to a nuclear power plant?
And then I scratched my head, and then I looked up “Satsop Nuclear Plant” online on my cell phone. Ha! This nuclear power plant had never been finished! It never produced power. And there are no “nuclear” things onsite. Nothing. Nada. It isn’t operating and it never was. There are no “nuclear” things on the premises.
Here’s this combined info from two current websites about this facility … the Satsop Nuclear Power Plant was a planned facility in Washington state, designed to house two 1,250-megawatt pressurized water reactors. Construction began in 1977 but was halted in 1983. About three billion dollars were spent to partially build this facility. It was about 75% complete at that point. Then it was put on hold because of a budget shortfall. The site now hosts the Satsop Development Park.
So, about three billion dollars were spent to partially build this facility, and then it was put on hold because of “a budget shortfall”. I think I might read that as a budget “miscalculation”.
On the other hand, I don’t particularly like the use of nuclear power. It’s dangerous. These plants have been known to blow up and kill everyone in the area. And there’s concern that the people who work there have shortened life spans and more illnesses while alive. So, all in all, I guess I’m ok that this facility has never been a working nuclear power plant.
BUT … I’m still curious about what’s here. Let’s go see it if we can, ok?
I drove in. No one stopped me. I drove almost everywhere. I drove around all the buildings, and almost to the cooling towers, although there were fences around the towers that kept me out.
In the photo below, I was able to drive around behind those buildings and approach that cooling tower.
In fact, I got so close that I took the three photos below.
Notice the HUGE door that was open near the top of this cooling tower.
This third photo (below) was of some sort of machinery that would have been installed inside the cooling tower (above). It was on the ground right at the bottom of that huge cooling tower. It was at least 14 feet in diameter and about 80 feet long. And it was sitting there, rusting.
The photo below shows another tower … not a curved cooling tower but something else like that I suspect. Notice the exposed, bare wire re-bar sticking out of the top of the tower. Work stopped on this tower before it was completed.
And here’s a photo looking inside/through this tower … completely empty.
Then there was this partial building below. There were no signs saying what its intended use was. But those sure are thick concrete walls! If that’s a six-foot chain link fence, then that first huge wall is somewhere around 2.5 to 3 feet thick.
Most of the buildings that were to be occupied by humans were empty, shuttered and locked and deteriorating.
So, you saw one of the huge curved cooling towers in the photos above. Here’s the second one …..
I figured I wouldn’t get any closer to it than I had to the first one.
But look! I swear, honest to goodness, that chain link fence wasn’t any more than 20 feet away from the bottom of this cooling tower. And it was only a six foot fence, pretty darned easy to jump over.
But look closely. The cooling tower is empty … there’s nothing inside!
Holy cow, they spent three billion dollars to build empty buildings that do nothing.
In the aerial photo below, the YELLOW circle shows a “power station” on the property. It was the original power station that was built to take power from the local power grid and supply power so this nuclear facility could be built. It simply supplied power for the construction of this nuclear power plant … and it still, today, supplies power to the “Satsop Development/Business Park” … and it supplies power so employees can “maintain” the nuclear power plant facilities. The photos below show this power station from ground view.
So … there definitely is a “Satsop Development/Business Park”. Inside a very few of the buildings that were built originally to house administrative offices and facilities for technicians and other workers for the nuclear power plant, there are now a few private businesses and one “training center” (what’s that for?). So this power plant (photos above) still supplies power to those businesses and the street lights and water supply pumps, etc.
But, there’s yet another power grid station on the property … in the YELLOW circle below. It’s huge! It was built to be the OUTPUT power station that took power FROM the nuclear power plant and then send it outside. This power station has buildings multiple stories high … the area it covers is about 1,000 feet on a side or about the size of 15 football fields. It too, continues to be maintained even though the nuclear plant produces no power.
So, all in all, I had a great time here. For one thing, I was allowed to get so close to everything. I saw equipment and buildings that were interesting, some with descriptive signage. But as well, some of what I saw raised questions. Signs said that the cost of completing the facility was prohibitive and that this nuclear power plant would never be completed because building specs for a nuclear power plant are different today than they were back in 1977. So why is it still being maintained? And, what is that one huge power station for, the one that supplies outgoing power from the nuclear plant, when the nuclear power plant isn’t producing any power, and why is it still being maintained? Yes, I know, maybe the cost of demolition is considered more than the cost of on-going maintenance … but for how many decades?
Even if I never get the answers to those questions, I had a great time. I will likely (hopefully) never get as close to an operating nuclear power plant as I did to this non-operating facility. That’s just fine with me. 🙂
The word/name “satsop” comes from the Satsop native people who lived here before immigrants arrived from Europe. The word means “made river” or “make/do stream”. As is often the case, words in other languages don’t always have a literal translation into English, and vice versa.
In the end, the word/name “Satsop” will NOT remind me of this power facility, but of the comfortable, small, rural community that is the village of Satsop, Washington, population 675 at the 2010 census … and the word/name “Satsop” will remind me of the Satsop people who lived here for thousands of years, and who still live here today, in peace. May we all be so fortunate. Blessings everyone! 🙂
Fascinating! More things that I know nothing about. What a waste of money! And yet the project started out with the understanding that the money would be there. Sounds like someone pulled the plug on this project without considering the consequences. Hmmm, sounds like the similar stupid shenanigans going on today. But this was fascinating, Ann. Thank you for the information and great photos. Glad you didn’t get arrested for trespassing. 🙂
I’m glad I didn’t get arrested too, Tim. The photos in this blog post would have been of the inside of a jail cell! 🙂 But you would have bailed me out.
Excellent blog post! I was working in federal government during the build of the Satsop plant and have access to info that I can’t share here. But I CAN say that Democrat President Jimmy Carter approved the build in 1977 … and Republican President Ronald Reagan shut it down in 1983. And I can say absolutely without doubt that it had nothing to do with budget, even tho you’ll find websites that claim differently and list monstrously over-stated budgets. The State of Washington stood up against a great number of things the Republicans were doing that hurt the country back then. What a surprise, our new power plant got shut down. The Republicans are doing it again today, shutting down our assets and our people who take care of our country and of us. Sometimes I wish the south HAD seceded! Ok, sigh (an Ann sigh), sorry for the rant, delete it if you wish. I do love the photos and descriptions and your curiosity! You share so much excellent information about the world. I really appreciate that. 🙂
Great info, David. I understand about there being things you can’t share. And I’m fascinated by the info you do share. Thank you. Yes, you shared some political thoughts but I won’t delete them. Every voice is important and valuable. I’ve wondered too what the USA would be like today if the south had seceded, hmmm. I know that most people in this country help each other and respect each other. I’ll keep looking for new things to see and learn and will share all of it! 🙂 Keep riding along with me.
I’ve worked in “finance” in upper levels of federal goverment. I appreciate Dapper David’s comments and suspect they are right on target, based on my experiences also.
But besides all that … the photos and info about the buildings at the Satsop plant are excellent! And it’s all so very well written, including the “scare” at the beginning that you might get arrested. 🙂 That was cool. Glad you didn’t. Great “Google Earth” photos of the plant. I don’t see many people do that in travel blogs. All in all, in the end, this was fun to read about and travel there with you. Thanks for taking us along. 🙂
Thank you for your professional inside insight, Pat. I appreciate that. And thank you for such nice words about my blogs. 🙂 Glad you’re along for the ride.
Great stuff. All new to me. The cooling towers were cool. And I bet any hot shops you saw were hot. 🙂 I always love your explorations and shared info.
Oh, bad puns! 🙂 Thanks Ben.
Interesting! Must have been a huge hit to the town’s economy when construction stopped. I wonder what the locals have to say about it.
I thought that too, Dawn. But the locals told me that they weren’t the ones hired to build the plant/facilities … outside construction companies were hired and brought in, and the workers stayed in buildings onsite, not in the nearby towns. This was yet another bone of contention about this power plant. Part of me thinks it’s just as well that construction stopped, and yet we’ll never know.
I lived in Washington back then and I can tell you there was a great deal of anger at the fact that this power plant was being built. Solar and wind energy were becoming cost effective and it was felt that the dangers of more nuclear systems just weren’t worth the billions in cost. I’ve seen those websites that say the build would have cost 42 billion so that’s why they stopped it, which seems so incredibly far-fetched. Besides these two cooling towers, three more were planned that never happened. And, as it turns out, the state of Washington has enough power without any of them. So there’s lots of “facts” on many sides of the history. We probably won’t ever know the full story. Bonds were sold to help pay for the build … when the build was stopped, the bonds failed and were not paid back, lots of folks lost a LOT of money. In fact, the state set up tours of the empty facility for people way back then, but the locals were so angry that they sabotaged the tours, showed up and told the “real” story, so today there are no tours. But I’m glad Ann drove in anyway! 🙂 Gave herself her own personal tour. I loved the photos.
I wondered about that 42-billion dollar claim too, Nevada, when just the year before the total cost was 4-billion. Who made that up? But, as you say, we won’t ever know the full story. Thanks for the local input … the bonds, the tours, etc … I didn’t know any of that. And yes, as long as nobody arrested me, I just kept on driving everywhere I could get to! 🙂
Great information from everyone! All ideas. All thoughts. The buildings there today are really interesting. Your descriptions and photos are super. I really like photo #15 … you must have found the PERFECT spot and angle for it.
That photo is my favorite too, Judy. 🙂 It shows how huge those towers are. I swear it would take a week-and-a-half to climb up all those stairs!
Solar really does seem the way to go, with wind as backup. But also let’s reduce our need for electricity … smaller homes … use less water … use solar & wind to supply power for heat. Read a book or create art or music … get off your computer. And let’s grow food crops instead of pretty flowers and not buy so much food, and then SHARE food. There are lots of plants that are high in protein … not much need to kill/eat animals. Yes, the people who maintain those “other” systems will have to do the same, but we can. Maybe the Satsop Nuclear plant is a perfect lesson and a wake-up call to us.
And, yes, I love your curiosity Ann. You always find interesting and different things to see and then share with us. Don’t stop! 🙂
Excellent advice, Kinny. I’m researching those options myself right now. Figuring out how to change my flower garden into a food garden, etc. Yard maintenance companies sometimes have free wood … from tree limbs that came down in storms. I’ve picked up a bunch of them and will dry them for firewood for winter heat in my woodstove. And I have plenty of solar devices for my trailer, will figure out a way to use the devices I already own during the winter here at home. Thanks Kinny. Don’t stop sharing! Your voice is important!
I can see how some people would be totally against the plant being built, and some people would be totally against the plant NOT being completed. And yet, you just report what you saw and what you learned, ok with a little editorial here and there. 🙂 But mostly you just see and learn and keep an open mind with kindness for all people involved. I sure wish we had more of that!!
Yah, I like that #15 photo too, but I also like the closeups of the first tower, especially the one with the upper door open. Wow, can you imagine climbing up those stairs?
Nice words, Walt. Thank you. I suspect you are one of those folks who err on the side of kindness. I wish we had more of that too.
Oh my gosh, those stairs … you’d have to take your lunch with you given how long it must take to get up them.
There are concerns about nuclear power plants here in Britain too. People are preferring solar power and wind power. I read that Scotland recently shut down the last electric producing coal operation in Scotland and now wants to shut down the nuclear power plant up there. It feeds all of Britain. But if it were near my home, I would want it shut down too. We have safer sources of electrical power. Our governments need to listen and learn and take care of us. I wish everyone in the USA a positive outcome. Your photos are brilliant, thank you.
Amen, Henry. I like your words a lot. Especially that our governments need to listen and learn and take care of us. Thanks for your wishes for us here in the USA, although everyone around the world is affected, sometimes in frightening ways. And … thanks for the lovely compliment. 🙂
Fascinating and surprising story!
Surprising to me too, FG. I figured I’d never get in the gate, much less be able to drive around at will and see whatever I wanted to see. Yep, interesting stuff.
Love the photos and the info. I read online that there were ideas like turning it into an amuzement park, but it’s so remote that there wouldn’t be enough support for anything like that. One website said two movies were partly filmed there and that website seemed to infer that was really helpful to offset the costs … but wow, two movies since 1983, that’s two movies in 42 years, not much income from that! But it was fascinating to see your photos and get a closeup look at the towers. That was cool (pun intended). 🙂 Thanks!
A friend of mine sent me info that said some of what you found online. I had the same reaction you did … so, two movies in 42 years? I also read that a rock band had recorded some video inside one of the towers for one of their songs. None of that makes up for the three billion dollars spent. Ah me, sigh. But yes, the visit to the “cooling” towers was “cool” … ha, that made me laugh. 🙂 Thanks Ruth.