R S NELSON

How R S NELSON compares

With 1,597 MW of capacity, R S NELSON ranks 4th among the 72 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Louisiana and is the smallest of the 3 operating Coal plants in the state. It accounts for about 31% of Louisiana's operating Coal capacity and 6.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 68th-largest of the 324 operating Coal plants in the database. Commissioned in 1959, it is older than 81% of the 72 operating Louisiana plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, ENTERGY GULF STATES - LA LLC, runs 5 operating plants in Louisiana totaling 3,573 MW. It shares Calcasieu Parish with 10 other operating plants, including RS COGEN and CALCASIEU.

EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 1,434 MW of nameplate capacity, led by conventional steam coal technology (this page's HIFLD capacity figure is 1,597 MW). Net generation was 1,475 GWh in 2024 (a 12% capacity factor), down 55% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1959 and 1982.

Grid neighborhood

The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by ENTERGY LOUISIANA LLC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 10 operating power plants totaling 1,582 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is RS COGEN (493 MW, Natural Gas).

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology