R S Nelson
R S Nelson is a coal plant in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, operated by Entergy Louisiana LLC. It ranks fourth by nameplate capacity among Louisiana’s 97 power plants. Ownership is shared by eight organizations; the largest stake, 17%, is held by Entergy Louisiana LLC. Its units draw on three kinds of energy: coal, natural gas and oil-fired.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,434 MW
1,129 MW net summer capacity
4 operable units
- Coal steam615 MW43%
- Gas steam turbine592 MW41%
- Petroleum coke227 MW16%
Unit by unit, 1959 to 2025
operating in 2025retiredbar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Petroleum coke, 114 MW, 1959
Unit 2 Petroleum coke, 114 MW, 1959
Unit 3 Gas steam turbine, 163 MW, 1960–2017
Unit 4 Gas steam turbine, 592 MW, 1970
Unit 6 Coal steam, 615 MW, 1982
Among Louisiana’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Nine Mile Point2,440 MW
- 2Big Cajun 21,903 MW
- 3Brame Energy Center1,707 MW
- 4R S Nelsonthis plant
- 5Acadia Energy Center1,389 MW
- 6Waterford 31,200 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 153rd of 14,286
- US coal plants
- 49th of 195
- Coal plants in Louisiana
- 2nd of 2
- Plants in the MISO (Midcontinent) balancing area
- 20th of 2,383
- Plants run by Entergy Louisiana LLC
- 2nd of 15
- Biggest single unit, among Louisiana’s plants
- 7th of 97
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum coke | 114 MW | 97.2 MW | 1959 | Operating |
| 2 | Petroleum coke | 114 MW | 93.2 MW | 1959 | Operating |
| 4 | Gas steam turbine | 592 MW | 425 MW | 1970 | Operating |
| 6 | Coal steam | 615 MW | 514 MW | 1982 | Operating |
Retired units
Retired capacity here totals 163 MW, mostly natural gas units.
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | In service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Gas steam turbine | 163 MW | 1960–2017 |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | 17.4% |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | 12.8% |
| CITGO Petroleum Corp | 7.8% |
| Conoco Inc & BP Amoco | 5.7% |
| EAM Nelson Holding LLC | 4.7% |
| Sam Rayburn G&T Elec Coop Inc | 4.3% |
| East Texas Electric Coop, Inc | 3.9% |
| SASOL North American Inc | 2.1% |
| Entergy Louisiana LLC (sole owner of the other units) | 41.3% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- MISO (Midcontinent)
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 230 kV
- Water source
- Sabine River Authority Canal
- Nearest town on record
- Westlake
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 30.284°N, 93.291°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles Power | Natural gas | 1,000 MW | 0.9 mi south |
| PPG Plant C Caustic | Natural gas | 3.4 MW | 4.0 mi south |
| PPG Powerhouse C | Natural gas | 358 MW | 4.0 mi south |
| PPG Powerhouse A | Other sources | 52.5 MW | 4.1 mi south |
| PPG Riverside | Other sources | 162 MW | 4.4 mi south |
| RS Cogen | Natural gas | 493 MW | 4.4 mi south |
| Lake Charles Polymers | Natural gas | 31.1 MW | 6.3 mi south |
| CITGO Refinery Powerhouse | Other sources | 75 MW | 7.3 mi south |