August 23, 1973

It's "Event of Century," Says Russellville Mayor

“…this announcement today will be recorded (as)…possessing the greatest potential in the first 100 years of Russellville’s history..”^[1]

Editor’s Note: In the 1970’s, commercial nuclear technology was still fairly new. Domestic oil supplies were (and still are) dwindling, the Nation was vulnerable to disruptions in oil imports, and Arkansas rarely drew media attention. But the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the Southwest in Russellville gave natives hope that technology could generate not only electricity but jobs, revenue, and a promising future. Much has happened in Arkansas since then but, although “Arkansas Nuclear One has been a boon to the (State’s) economy for nearly 25 years…many people in Arkansas do not even know the history” ^[2]   Still to be determined is whether that era has passed forever leaving a stagnant nuclear industry, or is there a nuclear renaissance about to begin.

Arkansas Nuclear Highlights

• Of the 31 States with nuclear capacity, Arkansas ranks 18^th. 
• Although total U.S. nuclear generation declined for the first time in 5 years in 2003, nuclear generation in Arkansas rose by nearly 10 percent.
• Based on preliminary data, the output for the first 5 months of 2003 for Arkansas Nuclear One power plant is 11 percent higher than in the comparable period of 2002.  This upward Statewide trend contrasts with the National decline of 2.5 percent in nuclear generation.
• The Arkansas Nuclear One power plant ranks 83rd in capacity on the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) list of largest electric power plants.
• Entergy corporation owns Arkansas' sole nuclear power plant.  Entergy is one of several companies that moved quickly to acquire commercial nuclear capacity as deregulation spread.  In addition to Arkansas, they own nuclear power plants in two other southern States:  Louisiana (Waterford ) and Mississippi (Grand Gulf).  In New England, Entergy has the Pilgrim power plant (Massachusetts) and Vermont Yankee.  They also own three commercial reactors in New York (James Fitzpatrick, Indian Point 2 and 3).
  

Nuclear Generation in Arkansas, 1960 through 2003 Million Kilowatt Hours

Sources: Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data Report 1999, and Electric Power Annual, Volume 1, 2001, and EIA Survey Form 906.

Competing Fuels

Emissions

See also, the comprehensive table comparing emissions tonnage for all 50 States plus the District of Columbia.