In 1977, the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) began construction of two nuclear power plants. It was the largest nuclear power plant project at the time and would contain five nuclear reactors; two 1,250 megawatt pressurized water reactors would be constructed at the Satsop plant.
After the project began, construction costs were nearly tripling the original budget and would end up costing around $24 billion, so in 1982, $3 billion into the project, construction was halted. One reactor was 75% completed; the other 16% done.