Clatskanie, Ore. — Portland General Electric’s new union-built natural gas-fired power plant in Columbia County is now online and able to generate enough energy to serve about 300,000 homes.

Company officials, community leaders, construction contractors and union officials celebrated the completion of the $285 million Port Westward Generating Plant July 19 with a dedication ceremony.

Port Westward is PGE’s first plant to be brought online in more than 10 years. Powered by a new breed of Mitsubishi G1-class combustion turbine, the combined-cycle, natural gas-fired plant is one of the most efficient generators of its type in the United States, PGE officials said.

Port Westward also has low levels of emissions for nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide. Levels measured at the plant since it began operation are below the strict levels permitted by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

At the dedication ceremony, PGE thanked the construction union workforce for its efficiency. The all-union workforce worked under a national project labor agreement between general contractor Black & Veatch and the Columbia-Pacific Building Trades Council.

Richard King, vice president of construction and labor relations for Black & Veatch, said the project was completed with an overall recordable injury rate of 0.68 and a days-away-from-work rate of 0.00. This compares with the industry average recordable injury rate of 6.3 and a days-away-from-work rate of 2.4.

At the dedication ceremony, King singled out International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 48 and EC Company for outstanding craftsman ship and productivity; and John Mohlis and Wally Mehrens for outstanding leadership and labor management cooperation. Mohlis is executive secretary-treasurer of the building trades council; Mehrens retired from that post in December 2005.

PGE broke ground on the Port Westward Generating Plant on Oct. 7, 2005.

“We’re proud to have worked with PGE and with several key partners on this very important project and to have delivered it with industry-best safety practices,” King said.

Mohlis pointed to the high levels of cooperation and camaraderie among the tradesmen and women, contractors and PGE.

“From a union perspective, this was one of the most successful projects we’ve been a part of,” said Mohlis, who pointed to the workforce for the “skill, productivity and commitment to safety and quality” that they brought to the project.

At the height of construction last summer, more than 400 workers were on site. “It was something like a million man-hours,” Mohlis said.

The Port Westward project has been a shot in the arm to economic development in Columbia County, said Rita Bernhard, chair of the Columbia County Commission.

“PGE’s operations at Port Westward, including its Beaver Plant, have been a catalyst in attracting more economic development to our region,” Bernhard said.

Eighteen full-time employees will operate the new facility. Thirteen are members of Electrical Workers Local 125.

With a generating capacity of 400 megawatts, Port Westward produces enough electricity to power the homes of more than 300,000 PGE customers.