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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
Grid Region
Southeast
Market
SEEM Participant
NERC Region
SERC — SERC Reliability Corporation
Balancing Authority
−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.
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC · Data from 2015–2025
$25.0/MWh
PPA Price
Annual Capital & Operating Expenses
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
This plant's balancing authority participates in the Southeast Energy Exchange Market (SEEM). SEEM is a bilateral exchange — no public nodal pricing.
Last updated 2026-04-19
View all 10 articlesNo ask pi reports yet for this entity.
ask pi about Bad CreekDuke Energy Carolinas (DUK)
Grid Voltage
500.0 kV
Regulatory Status
RE — Regulated
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility