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Louisiana Nuclear Industry |
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Report Updated: October 21, 2005
Contribution of Nuclear Power As of January 1, 2005, Louisiana ranked 15th among the 31 States with nuclear capacity. Nuclear power accounts for slightly less than a fifth of Louisiana's energy production (see table). If the nuclear share increases in 2005, it will not necessarily represent a corresponding increase in electricity output. Instead, other fuel shares could decrease. In 2004, both River Bend and Waterford operated at slightly under 90 percent of their net summer capability. Although many U.S. nuclear plants have two or more reactors, River Bend and Waterford are single reactor facilities. Reactors shut down periodically for maintenance and refueling. Therefore, it could be concluded that while the local nuclear industry's contribution to economic recovery will be indispensable in the coming months, there is not nearly enough capacity to offset significant losses in the other fuel sectors. The Waterford power plant, the closest nuclear plant to New Orleans, survived hurricane Katrina virtually intact 1, but was shut down as a precautionary measure on August 28, 2005. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission terminated the 'unusual event' shut down on September 8th and authorized the plant to re-start the reactor on the following day. River Bend, Louisiana's other nuclear plant, was already in operation at the time of the Waterford re-opening. Waterford returned to full power on September 23rd. Their power will be badly needed as the State struggles to economically recover. But it should not be assumed that things will soon return to normal for the State's nuclear industry. A multitude of problems face Entergy, the licensee for the Waterford plant. First, the company lost revenue during the shut down. Add to this the costs of repairing transmission lines, and the displacement of some 350,000 customers. Natural gas provides nearly half of the electricity in Louisiana, accounting for as much output as 2nd ranked coal and 3rd ranked nuclear put together. Although Louisiana is the 'gateway' to the Mississippi River, hydropower represents only one percent of the State's generation.
Louisiana Nuclear Highlights
Louisiana Nuclear Industry
License Renewal According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), no application for license renewal for River Bend or Waterford have been received and none is anticipated in the near future. The current licenses for both reactors will not expire until after 2020. Information on the current status of all license renewal applications appears on the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov. To locate the data, select "index," then select the letter "l" and click on "License Renewal." Air Quality in Louisiana Of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the electric industry of the State of Louisiana ranked 16th highest in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2004. The State's electric industry ranks 22nd highest in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and 17th highest in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
More Information on Louisiana's Nuclear Industry Nuclear Generation Electricity generation by nuclear power plants is available for each reactor and each State for the following years: ______________________1 Update: On September 23rd, NRC reported the Waterford is operating at full power.
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