The Power
of People
By Mike Chisum, Entergy Nuclear.
Mike Chisum
Mike Chisum is the Site Vice President
of Entergy’s Waterford 3 Steam Electric
Station and is responsible for the
continued safe and efficient operation
of the plant. With more than 34 years of
commercial nuclear
power experience,
Chisum began his
career in the U.S.
Navy, followed by 32
years at Entergy’s
Arkansas Nuclear
One. Chisum
encourages success
throughout Entergy’s
nuclear fleet with his
leadership and drive
toward excellence.
Chisum is a graduate
of Arkansas Tech
University with a bachelor’s degree
in both Mechanical Engineering and
Physical Science with a Nuclear Physics
Option. Chisum served as a part of the
United States Navy for six years in the
nuclear navy submarine program.
Waterford 3 – A 30 Year
Partner in the Louisiana
community
Entergy’sWaterford 3 Steam Electric
Station (W3) is located on 3,600 acres
of its namesake, a former sugar farm
known as Waterford Plantation. With the
original plantation bell still on site and
acreage of sanctioned sugar cane land
adjacent to the station, W3’s roots and
beginning surround this thriving piece of
the St. Charles Parish Community.
With commercial operation begin-
ning September 24, 1985, W3 celebrates
its 30th anniversary this year. Entergy’s
four key stakeholders – owners, custom-
ers, employees and communities – are the
reason W3 has been
able to generate safe
and reliable power
for three decades.
With the growth of
the state, the support
from the surround-
ing communities and
the dedication from
hardworking employ-
ees, W3 continues to
be ranked among the
nation’s top nuclear
performers by indus-
try peers.
Growing the Utility in
Louisiana
Our utilities power a new day every
day for families and businesses, towns
and cities in Arkansas, Louisiana,
Mississippi and Texas — a region
experiencing an exciting industrial
renaissance and the promise of economic
prosperity.
While some Louisiana inhabitants
might not know the state is home to
two Entergy nuclear power plants, the
community surrounding W3 is familiar
with and connected to the power plant
that has been a part of their lives for more
than 30 years.
One thing Louisiana residents can’t
miss is the fact that the state is at the
epicenter of the U.S. industrial rebirth.
An industrial renaissance is taking place
in Louisiana, and Entergy’s position in
the revolution is vital. The rebirth of New
Orleans post-Katrina has been recognized
world-wide and is seen as one of the
greatest turnarounds in American history.
For example, in 2014, Sempra Energy
and their project partners broke ground on
building a new, multibillion-dollar LNG
export facilities in Cameron, Louisiana.
W3 generates 1,175 megawatts of clean,
reliable base load energy and is a key
force in ensuring these businesses have
the cost effective supply of power needed
to grow.
Another compelling example of
an international company investing
in Entergy’s service area is Sasol,
an integrated energy and chemicals
company, based in South Africa, which
is in the process of expanding operations
in Westlake, Louisiana. Entergy will be
supplying this single facility with up to
200 megawatts of power.
When taken together, these projects
and others like them represent economic
growth and new jobs – as well as
the potential addition of hundreds of
megawatts of load to Entergy’s utility
business.
Powering Life in St.
Charles Parish
Our vision ‘We Power Life,’ is a simple
statement but a serious responsibility.
Construction
for W3
began
during the summer of 1963. Nearly
5,000 employees were on site for the
construction alone. The building of W3
supplied locals with long term and short
term jobs until commercial operation
began in September 1985. Today, there
are approximately 600 full-time Entergy
employees on site.
The three River Parishes, St. Charles,
St. James and St. John the Baptist, have
seen an exponential amount of economic
growth. This region is transfixed with
excellent transportation network, an
abundance of land and raw materials, and
a high quality of life. Because of these
attributes, St. Charles parish is home to
a number of large corporations, Entergy’s
W3 being one of the largest.
Since the beginning, W3 has utilized
its strength in the community to become
an influence in St. Charles Parish, both
economically and through community
outreach. In 2014, W3 contributed
approximately $25 million in property
taxes alone.
Through the grants program, the plant
has supported local charities including
the American Cancer Society, March
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NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, July-August 2015
