Entergy Louisiana’s Lake Charles Power Station began commercial operations over the weekend, providing another source of energy to a region that has seen substantial growth in recent years.
Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Phillip May says the station achieved the milestone well ahead of schedule and will provide savings for customers.
Combined-cycle gas turbine units like the Lake Charles Power Station emit on average about 40% less carbon dioxide than Entergy’s older natural gas-powered units. Because of the plant’s high efficiency, it has been projected customers will save between $1.3 billion and $2 billion over the anticipated 30-year life of the plant.
The $872 million project helps improve the region’s overall reliability by locating the station in a rapidly growing area and avoids costly transmission projects that would otherwise have been needed to maintain reliability for the greater Lake Charles area.
Construction began on the Westlake facility in August 2017, and was scheduled for completion in June. At its peak, construction of the plant employed approximately 1,100 people. Ongoing operations of the plant will employ approximately 30 people.
The Lake Charles Power Station is another milestone in Entergy Corporation’s broader plan to modernize and transform the existing generation fleet of its utility operating companies. Over the past 15 years, Entergy has added approximately 8,500 megawatts of clean, highly efficient combined-cycle gas turbine generation, allowing for the deactivation of over 6,500 megawatts of older, less efficient gas or oil units.
In 2001, Entergy Corporation voluntarily committed to capping greenhouse gas emissions, and recently announced a goal of reducing its carbon emission rate by 50% below year 2000 levels by 2030.
