1680 MW Hydro operating in Oconee, SC — Duke Energy Carolinas
1,680 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
Technology
1991
Operating Since
Coordinates
35.0075, -82.9975
County
Oconee, SC
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Duke Energy Carolinas | — |
| Owner(s) | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Duke Energy | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
The Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located 8 miles (13 km) north of Salem in Oconee County, South Carolina. The 1,065-megawatt (1,428,000 hp) power plant is owned by Duke Energy, and its last generator was commissioned in 1991.
Read more on WikipediaThe Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station is a 1,680 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric plant located in Oconee County, South Carolina. It began operating in 1991 and is owned and operated by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, a subsidiary of Duke Energy. The plant consists of 4 generators using water as its primary fuel source. Bad Creek is the largest of 7 hydroelectric plants in South Carolina, and the 10th largest of 194 pumped storage plants nationally.
The plant's installed cost was $784.75 per kW, according to filings with FERC. Bad Creek operates within the Duke Energy Carolinas balancing authority, which is part of the SERC Reliability Corporation NERC region. The plant has a reported power purchase agreement (PPA) price of $25 per MWh. News coverage of the plant has focused on grid-related (7 articles) and regulatory (3 articles) topics.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Duke Energy Carolinas
Grid Voltage
500 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
−29.2K MWh
Net Charging
-550.1K MWh
Annual Net Energy
-3.7%
Capacity Factor
Positive values indicate net discharge (generation exceeds station load). Negative values indicate net charging. Pure battery storage plants are typically net negative due to round-trip efficiency losses.
$25.0/MWh
PPA Price
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
Contract Seller
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
Duke Energy Progress, LLC, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Application of Transfer of License and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests
Duke Energy Progress, LLC; Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Application of Transfer of License and Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene, and Protests
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Application Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions
Duke Energy applies to extend operation of pumped hydro energy storage project in South Carolina
Duke Energy has submitted its final license application to FERC to extend operation at the Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station for 50 years.
Last updated 2026-03-25
View all 10 articles