Duke Energy to seek approval to build first new power plant in decade
Duke Energy has begun the process that could lead to its first new power generation plant in South Carolina in a decade, the utility announced June 9.
The proposal calls for a new 1,400 Megawatt combined cycle natural gas power facility in Anderson County that, if approved, could generate electricity as early as 2031.
Duke Energy is seeking approval from the state Public Service Commission to build the new facility. According to Duke’s project website, construction could start in 2027.
Meeting growth
Combined cycle natural gas power generation was among the “all of the above” approach Duke and other power providers pitched to state regulators and legislators in 2024 as the General Assembly began a serious assessment of the state’s growing energy needs.
The virtue of combined cycle natural gas facilities is they’re comparatively easier to bring online quickly and can be converted to use carbon-neutral hydrogen if and when that fuel becomes economically feasible to produce at scale.
The project would also benefit from a partnership between Duke and GE Vernova, which manufactures gas turbines at its Greenville facility and in which it is investing $160 million to expand capacity.
Duke is proposing to build the new facility on 200 acres located on Highway 81 South near True Temper Road in Anderson County. The site is near existing transmission infrastructure, and construction work is expected to generate about 600 jobs with 30 additional jobs associated with plant operations.
Duke Energy’s announcement comes on the heels of the legislature’s passage of the S.C. Energy Security Act earlier this year, a move which, among other things, prioritizes new electricity generation capacity.
State House Speaker Murrell Smith (R-Sumter) championed the push for a coherent state energy policy, and in a statement announcing the new power plant praised Duke’s plans.
“South Carolina’s continued economic success depends on reliable, affordable energy infrastructure that can keep pace with our rapid growth,” Smith said. “Duke Energy’s investment in a new natural gas facility in Anderson County is a direct response to that need, and it reflects the type of forward-thinking solutions encouraged by the S.C. Energy Security Act.”
Beginning this week, residents, property owners and businesses near the proposed energy center location will receive additional information on the project to include details on how they can share feedback with the company.
For more information, visit duke-energy.com/info/anderson-natural-gas-plant-project.
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