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Summary

From August 1977 to August 1978, the Trojan Decommissioning Alliance (TDA) led protests and occupations at the Trojan nuclear power plant in Rainier, Oregon, to shut it down. Despite over 360 arrests and sustained nonviolent action, the campaign did not immediately close the plant. The plant was eventually decommissioned in 1993 due to costly technical failures.

Tactics used

Tactics used

Background

In 1968, Portland General Electric (PGE) announced plans to build a nuclear power plant in Rainier, Oregon. Many Oregonians opposed the plant due to environmental concerns and the belief that it was a poor use of state funds. Despite initial protests and a failed 1970 ballot initiative to prohibit nuclear power, PGE began commercial operation of the Trojan plant in May 1976.

What happened

In August 1977, on the 32nd anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Trojan Decommissioning Alliance (TDA) launched a campaign to shut down the Trojan nuclear power plant [source: nv-database]. Nina Bell and Norman Solomon led what is believed to be the first occupation of a U.S. [source: nv-database] nuclear power plant [source: nv-database]. Protesters were especially active in November 1977, leading to many arrests [source: nv-database]. TDA organized another occupation in August 1978 [source: nv-database]. Over the course of the campaign, police arrested more than 360 activists [source: nv-database]. After the campaign, political activists pursued electoral and legal strategies, and in the late 1980s Lloyd Marbet’s group Forelaws on Board repeatedly proposed initiatives to close the plant [source: nv-database]. PGE spent over $4.5 million to defeat these initiatives [source: nv-database]. In 1992, after defeating another initiative, severe tube cracking was discovered at the plant, and directors voted to close it by 1996; the plant was permanently decommissioned in January 1993 [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Trojan Decommissioning Alliance (TDA)
  • Nina Bell
  • Norman Solomon
  • Eugene Future Power Committee (EFPC)
  • Lloyd Marbet
  • Forelaws on Board
  • Portland General Electric (PGE)

Outcome

Verdict: lost.

The campaign did not achieve its immediate goal of shutting down the plant; all anti-Trojan initiatives failed. However, the plant closed in 1993 due to costly technical failures, not directly because of the campaign. The campaign raised awareness and built a movement that continued to pressure PGE. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Nonviolent direct action can sustain public attention on an issue over a long period.
  • Electoral and legal strategies can complement direct action campaigns.
  • Even if a campaign does not achieve its immediate goal, it can contribute to eventual success through shifting public opinion and exposing vulnerabilities.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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