Gaston — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 2756
- Capacity
- 177.6 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Halifax, NC
- Operating Since
- 1963
- Generators
- 4
- Operator
- Virginia Electric & Power Co
- Parent Company
- Dominion Energy
- Annual Generation
- 225,599 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 14.6%
- Balancing Authority
- PJM Interconnection, LLC
- ISO/RTO
- PJM
- NERC Region
- SERC
Gaston
OperatingHydro
Ranked #3 of 38 Hydro plants in NC#106 of 1454 nationally
177.6 MW Hydro operating in Halifax, NC — PJM Interconnection, LLC
EIAGEMWD
177.6 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1963
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
36.4991, -77.8115
County
Halifax, NC
Nearby Plants
- Oak SolarSolar120 MW · 6.0 km
- Shieldwall SolarSolar5 MW · 8.5 km
- Northern Cardinal SolarSolar2 MW · 11.0 km
Ownership & Operator
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Virginia Electric and Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Dominion Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Gaston hydroelectric plant is located in Halifax County, North Carolina. The plant has a total capacity of 177.6 MW across four generators, and it began operating in 1963. The primary fuel source is water (WAT), and the plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology. Dominion Energy is the parent company, with Virginia Electric & Power Co. listed as the EIA operator. Gaston ranks as the third-largest hydroelectric plant in North Carolina out of eight such plants, and it is 106th-largest nationally out of 194.
Gaston operates within the PJM Interconnection, LLC balancing authority and the SERC NERC region. The plant's latest annual generation was 225,599 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 14.6%. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $291.63 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
PJM Interconnection, LLC
Grid Voltage
232 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
11.2K MWh
Latest Month
225.6K MWh
Annual Generation
14.6%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025
Financial DataBeta
Source: FERC Form 1HIGH
$342/kW
Installed Cost
$0.3/MWh
Operating Cost
VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidenceMarket Position
ISO/RTO Market
PJM
LMP Node
GASTON4 14 KV G1
Pricing Hub
DOMINION HUB
Location Type
Generation Node
Node Source
Curated node match
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·technology
Duke Energy's Allen Steam Plant finds new life in battery energy storage
Battery energy storage system plans could bring new life to Duke Energy's retired Allen Steam Plant and 20-50 jobs to Gaston County.
Duke Energy (operator)
Gaston Gazette·4 weeks ago
Grid·capacity addition
Duke Energy unveils new battery at former coal plant to ‘fill the gap’ between clean energy generation
As North Carolina continues decarbonizing its energy supply, giant batteries are one tool for keeping the lights on when the sun isn't...
Duke Energy (operator)North Carolina (other)
WUNC News·2 months ago
Industry·technology
Duke invests $100M in batteries in Belmont; could raise that to $1 billion for Gaston County
Wednesday morning's gray, drizzling, 45-degree weather provided a near-perfect backdrop for Duke Energy to show off its $100 million,...
Duke Energy (operator)
Business North Carolina·2 months ago
Industry·technology
Duke Energy turns retired coal plant into battery power hub for the Carolinas
Duke Energy said Jan. 14 that it has put a 50-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system into service at its former Allen coal plant in Gaston County, N.C....
Duke Energy (operator)
Daily Energy Insider·2 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles