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In June of 1986, River Bend Station in St. Francisville, La. became the second nuclear power plant to produce electricity in Louisiana. June 2021 marked River Bend's next milestone as it celebrated 35 years of safe and reliable operation.
River Bend received a power upgrade of approximately 52 megawatts in 2003 and now generates 974 megawatts of electricity. River Bend's output meets approximately 8% of the total energy demand of Louisiana.
At River Bend, it has always been a goal to continuously serve the community in which we operate. Through grants from Entergy, River Bend promotes tourism, after-school development, drug and alcohol awareness and recreational opportunities in St. Francisville, West Feliciana Parish and East Feliciana Parish. River Bend employees maintain a strong presence within the community through volunteer efforts as well as educating the public about nuclear energy. These opportunities range from elementary school visits and presentations to state university tours, Baton Rouge Earth Day, Girl Scout and Boy Scout Nuclear Science Days, St. Francisville Summer Fest and National Nuclear Science Week.
River Bend Station
| Location: | St. Francisville, La. |
| Owner: | Entergy Louisiana, LLC |
| Maximum Dependable Capacity: | 967 MW |
| Reactor Type: | Boiling Water Reactor |
| Reactor Manufacturer: | General Electric |
| Turbine Generator Manufacturer: | General Electric |
| Architect/Engineer: | Stone and Webster |
| Commercial Operation Date: | June 16, 1986 |
| License Expiration Date: | Aug. 29, 2045 |
| Cooling Water Source: | Mechanical draft cooling towers with make-up water from the Mississippi River |
| Number of Employees: | 748 |
| Parishes included in Emergency Planning Zone: | East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee' |
>> River Bend Station emergency preparedness information
Environmental impact
Generating electricity with nuclear energy prevents the emission of pollutants like sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with burning fossil fuels.
According to 2019 data, environmental emissions avoided due to nuclear power plant operation in Louisiana included 6,594 short tons of sulfur dioxide, 8,311 short tons of nitrogen oxide and 8.3 million metric tons of CO2.*
Emissions of SO2 lead to the formation of acid rain. NOx is a key precursor of both ground-level ozone and smog. Greenhouse gases like CO2 contribute to global warming.
* Source: Emissions avoided by nuclear power are calculated using regional fossil fuel emissions rates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and plant generation data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.