Arkansas Nuclear Industry
| Nuclear Power Plants in Arkansas Net Generation and Capacity, 2008 |
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| Plant Name | Unit Number | Net Capacity MW | Net Generation Thousand Kwh |
Capacity Factor (percent) |
Operator/Owner |
| Arkansas Nuclear One | 1 | 843 | 6,113 | 83 | Entergy Arkansas, Inc./Same |
| Arkansas Nuclear One | 2 | 995 | 8,055 | 92 | |
| Total | 1,838 | 14,168 | 88 | ||
| Source: Form EIA-860, "Annual Electric Generator Report," and Form EIA-906, "Power Plant Report." | |||||
It's "Event of Century," Says Russellville Mayor
“…this announcement today will be recorded (as)…possessing the greatest potential in the first 100 years of Russellville’s history..”[1]
Editor’s Note: In the 1970’s, commercial nuclear technology was still fairly new. Domestic oil supplies were (and still are) dwindling, the Nation was vulnerable to disruptions in oil imports, and Arkansas rarely drew media attention. But the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the Southwest in Russellville gave natives hope that technology could generate not only electricity but jobs, revenue, and a promising future. Much has happened in Arkansas since then but, although “Arkansas Nuclear One has been a boon to the (State’s) economy for nearly 25 years…many people in Arkansas do not even know the history” [2] Still to be determined is whether that era has passed forever leaving a stagnant nuclear industry, or is there a nuclear renaissance about to begin.
Arkansas Nuclear Highlights
- Although total U.S. nuclear generation declined for the first time in 5 years in 2003, nuclear generation in Arkansas rose by nearly 10 percent.
- Based on preliminary data, the output for the first 5 months of 2003 for Arkansas Nuclear One power plant is 11 percent higher than in the comparable period of 2002. This upward Statewide trend contrasts with the National decline of 2.5 percent in nuclear generation.
- The Arkansas Nuclear One power plant ranks 83rd in capacity on the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) list of largest electric power plants.
- Entergy corporation owns Arkansas' sole nuclear power plant. Entergy is one of several companies that moved quickly to acquire commercial nuclear capacity as deregulation spread. In addition to Arkansas, they own nuclear power plants in two other southern States: Louisiana (Waterford ) and Mississippi (Grand Gulf). In New England, Entergy has the Pilgrim power plant (Massachusetts) and Vermont Yankee. They also own three commercial reactors in New York (James Fitzpatrick, Indian Point 2 and 3).
| Nuclear Generation in Arkansas, 1960 through 2003 Million Kilowatt Hours |
 Sources: Energy Information Administration, State Energy Data Report 1999, and Electric Power Annual, Volume 1, 2001, and EIA Survey Form 906. |
Competing Fuels
In 2008, the State of Arkansas ranked 19th in nuclear capacity and 20th in nuclear generation. Monthly and cumulative nuclear generation and annual nuclear capacity for each State and each reactor is reported in a table elsewhere on this site.
| Electricity Market in Arkansas, Share of Electricity Output, by Fuel, 2004 to 2007 | ||||||
| Year | Coal | Hydroelectric | Natural Gas |
Nuclear | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 47 | 6 | 15 | 28 | 3 | |
| 2006 | 46 | 3 | 18 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 48 | 6 | 13 | 29 | 4 | |
| 2004 | 49 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 5 | |
| Source: EIA Survey 923, "Power Plant Operations Report" and Predecessor Forms. | ||||||
In 2007, coal was the leading source for electricity, but second-ranking natural gas has been trending upward: each supply over a third of the electricity generated by the State. The percentage of electricity generated by coal, gas, nuclear, and hydropower for each state with at least one commercial reactor is reported in the Electricity Market table.
License Renewal
According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the license renewal application for unit 1 was approved on June 20, 2001. The original license for unit 1 expired in 2014. The renewed license will expire on May 20, 2034. An application for unit 2 was received by the NRC on October 15, 2003, and is currently under review.
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 Arkansas
Total greenhouse emissions for the electric power industry of each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia, are reported for the most current data year.
Of the 50 States plus the District of Columbia, the electric industry of the State of Arkansas ranked 32nd highest in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2007. The State's electric industry ranked 27th highest in sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and 33rd highest in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
| Arkansas Airborne Emissions, Electricity Sector, 1990-2007 Metric Tons |
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| Year | Carbon Dioxide CO2 |
Sulfur Dioxide SO2 |
Nitrogen Oxides NOx |
| 1990 | 22,955,524 | 77,465 | 109,397 |
| 1991 | 23,655,573 | 76,029 | 111,278 |
| 1992 | 24,089,481 | 75,456 | 111,567 |
| 1993 | 21,646,655 | 73,488 | 93,784 |
| 1994 | 24,009,034 | 78,437 | 102,599 |
| 1995 | 25,690,735 | 82,406 | 111,124 |
| 1996 | 27,885,131 | 103,190 | 55,304 |
| 1997 | 26,352,979 | 86,837 | 48,181 |
| 1998 | 27,977,927 | 72,731 | 50,611 |
| 1999 | 29,154,298 | 87,656 | 54,598 |
| 2000 | 28,735,782 | 84,092 | 54,429 |
| 2001 | 28,196,950 | 83,146 | 47,409 |
| 2002 | 26,908,598 | 80,279 | 44,164 |
| 2003 | 27,219,652 | 78,872 | 45,650 |
| 2004 | 27,061,120 | 86,940 | 42,424 |
| 2005 | 28,494,446 | 81.970 | 38,230 |
| 2006 | 26,360,144 | 96,855 | 44,169 |
| 2007 | 29,852,236 | 81,908 | 41,001 |
| Source: EIA-767 and EIA-906 Survey, Energy Information Administration | |||
Where to Go Next (your choice)
To Next State in this Series (California)