The action goes against wider public opinion that is opposed to nuclear power after Fukushima. Despite lingering safety concerns, the restart could speed the resumption of operations at more reactors across the country. The restart process will take several weeks.
In the meantime, more possible debris from the tsunami has washed up on the Washington state coast.
Beachgoers on Friday found a 20-foot fishing boat with Japanese writing and barnacles that aren't native to the Pacific Northwest.
Jim Sachet with the Washington Department of Ecology said people found the fiberglass boat on Benson Beach, which is on the ocean side of the park just north of Cape Disappointment.
While it will take a week to positively confirm that the boat is from Japan, Sachet said there is Japanese writing on it and on several lifejackets that likely came loose as the boat crashed through the surf.
This comes after debris washed up on the Oregon coast last Wednesday. An effort to monitor debris wash-up in Southern California began last Friday.ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
