Entergy Louisiana has asked the Louisiana Public Service Commission to approve a $68.7 million upgrade at its Waterford 3 nuclear plant in Killona, aiming to increase net electrical output by about 45 megawatts. The company says the project, scheduled for completion in late 2026, would provide enough additional power for tens of thousands of homes while delivering substantial economic benefits to customers with minimal added costs.
The upgrade would raise Waterford 3’s net capacity from roughly 1,150 megawatts to about 1,195 megawatts without increasing fuel or operations expenses. Entergy projects a net present value benefit of $205 million for customers, driven by higher energy sales and federal production tax credits. The utility estimates $11.2 million in energy savings and $13.1 million in tax credits in the first full year after completion.
Entergy expects to qualify for tax credits under Section 45Y of the Internal Revenue Code, preserved for nuclear uprate projects by the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The company says those credits could fully offset the project’s cost to customers, pending IRS guidance. Most of the increased capacity—about 40.3 megawatts—would be added during the plant’s fall 2026 refueling outage, with the remainder in fall 2029.
Operating since 1985, Waterford 3 is a pressurized water reactor licensed through 2044, with Entergy considering a license renewal to extend operations to 2064. Vice President of Major Fleet Projects Jason Willis said the upgrade will use existing infrastructure, including newly installed low-pressure turbine rotors, and will not require a license amendment.
The company says the added capacity will help meet long-term demand without the expense of building new natural gas-fired plants, improving grid reliability and potentially reducing rates over time. Environmental engineers note that one megawatt can power approximately 670 homes, making the proposed increase enough to serve roughly 30,000 additional households.
