R S Nelson — United States of America
Coal power plant in Louisiana, United States of America. Approximate location 30.2844, -93.2911.
CoalLouisianaUnited States of America
R S Nelson is a 1,433.6 MW coal power station in Louisiana, United States of America. It is operated by Entergy Louisiana LLC. Based on reported annual generation of 3,211 GWh, it can supply roughly 917k homes. It ranks #349 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1973, it is around 53 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0001393.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 615 MW for Roy S. Nelson Generating Plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103958; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,433.6 MW, R S Nelson is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 26%, from 3,211 GWh of reported generation; the median for 244 coal plants in United States of America that report generation is 41%
- Generation trend
- 6,069 GWh in 2013 and 3,211 GWh in 2019 (−47%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2013: 6,069 GWh; 2019: 3,211 GWh
- Share of United States of America coal capacity
- 0.2% of 621,194 MW across 802 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 346 of 745 dated coal plants in United States of America are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Entergy Louisiana LLC. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 30.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 71% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 23/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #149 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Roy S. Nelson Generating Plant · Coal · 614.6 MW · Louisiana
- Lake Charles Power · Gas · 1,000 MW · Louisiana
- PPG Plant C Caustic · Gas · 3.4 MW · Louisiana
- PPG Powerhouse A · Other · 52.5 MW · Louisiana
- PPG Powerhouse C · Gas · 357 MW · Louisiana
- PPG Riverside · Other · 162 MW · Louisiana
Location
Coordinates 30.2844, -93.2911 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is R S Nelson?
R S Nelson is a 1,433.6 MW coal power plant in Louisiana, United States of America, commissioned in 1973.
How much electricity does R S Nelson generate?
R S Nelson generates about 3,211 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates R S Nelson?
R S Nelson is operated by Entergy Louisiana LLC.