Tagged: utilities

Officials at Louisiana’s nuclear power plants are monitoring the progress of now-Tropical Storm Isaac, but say there have been no problems thus far.

Mike Bowling, spokesman for Entergy Nuclear, says the Waterford 3 plant, located in Killona, La. came offline at 5 p.m. yesterday, and has a core team of about 100 employees remaining on site.

The River Bend plant, located in St. Francisville, remains 100% operational, with a sequestered team on site as well.

Entergy says Hurricane Isaac has knocked out power to more than 450,000 residential and commercial in southeast Louisiana.

The company's website indicates that those included more than 150,000 in New Orleans, about 160,000 in Jefferson Parish, some 15,700 in St. Bernard, about 10,800 in Plaquemines, 27,300 in Lafourche, 16,000 in St. Charles, 16,700 in St. John the Baptist and 17,700 in Terrebonne Parish.

Officials say crews are not able to start repairs until winds drop below 30 or 35 mph, which is likely to be Thursday at the earliest.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says a nuclear power plant west of New Orleans was shut down because of the threat from Hurricane Isaac, but two others in or near the hurricane's path remain at full power.

The NRC says the Waterford 3 plant in Taft, La., began a controlled shutdown at 3 p.m. Tuesday. The plant is about 20 miles west of New Orleans in St. Charles Parish.

The NRC says the River Bend plant, about 25 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, La., and Grand Gulf, near Port Gibson, Miss., remain at full power.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has dispatched additional personnel to two nuclear plants in Louisiana in response to the expected landfall of Tropical Storm Isaac.