Duke Energy Seeks 50 More Years on South Carolina Pumped Hydro Storage Plant
Leaders at North Carolina-based utility Duke Energy are committed to making pumped hydro storage a long-term piece of the company’s generation portfolio across multiple states.
Duke Energy has submitted the final license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Bad Creek Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Station, located near Salem, South Carolina. The application is estimated to extend the plant's operations for an additional 50 years, upon receiving approval.
Pumped storage is a variation on hydroelectric plants. Water from a reservoir at lower elevation is pumped up to a higher storage area during times of low energy demand and cost, then released by gravity to power turbines and create electricity during higher demand.
Bad Creek, located in Oconee County, S.C., is designed to produce significant amounts of energy when customers need it most, according to the company.
"Extending the life of this 'marvel in the mountain' has been a significant part of our planning for the future for many years,” Tim Pearson, president of Duke Energy South Carolina, said in a statement. “Our commitment to keep a proven asset like Bad Creek online for decades to come while also bringing a diverse portfolio of new generating resources to the grid reflects the direction our state's leaders have made clear is the right path forward to support a reliable, affordable and resilient energy future for South Carolina."
As part of the company's responsibility to serve nearly 860,000 retail electric customers across South Carolina, Duke Energy is not only expected to build large amounts of new generation but also extend the lives of the facilities like Bad Creek and the company's existing nuclear fleet to support the economic success and growth the state is experiencing.
Duke Energy has completed upgrades to the four units at the Bad Creek pumped storage facility in Salem, S.C. The upgrades add a total of 320 MW of carbon-free energy to the company's system, increasing the total capacity of the station to 1,680 MW.
The commitment to relicense the Bad Creek facility highlights the company’s investments to maintain and enhance its generating fleet and serve a growing customer base.
The current operating license for the project expires in July 2027 and Duke Energy consulted with more than 70 stakeholders to propose a new license to run for another 50 years. Duke Energy expects a decision on the operating license application from FERC in 2027, before the original license expires.
Duke Energy also is involved in microgrid development. Duke Energy Florida will be host utility for the Microgrid Knowledge Conference happening next May 4-6 at the Renaissance SeaWorld in Orlando.