Power plants in the Santee Cooper balancing area
The Santee Cooper balancing area takes in 28 power plants with 5,978 MW of nameplate capacity, the 27th-largest of the 40 areas covered here. All of its plants are in South Carolina. Coal makes up 62% of the mix, and the largest plant is Cross (2,452 MW). Since 2020, 286 MW has come online here, 100% of it solar.
- Coal3,727 MW62%
- Natural gas1,272 MW21%
- Solar303 MW5.1%
- Hydroelectric231 MW3.9%
- Oil and petroleum229 MW3.8%
- Biomass and waste215 MW3.6%
Capacity by decade it came online
CoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricSolarBiomass and waste
Above the line: capacity operating in 2025. Below: capacity retired at plants that still run.
The 25 largest plants in the area
| Rank | Plant | State | Runs on | Capacity | First unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cross | South Carolina | Coal | 2,452 MW | 1984 |
| 2 | Winyah | South Carolina | Coal | 1,276 MW | 1975 |
| 3 | John S Rainey | South Carolina | Natural gas | 1,154 MW | 2001 |
| 4 | Jefferies | South Carolina | Hydroelectric | 145 MW | 1942 |
| 5 | Hilton Head | South Carolina | Oil and petroleum | 118 MW | 1973 |
| 6 | Cherokee County Cogen | South Carolina | Natural gas | 118 MW | 1998 |
| 7 | Myrtle Beach | South Carolina | Oil and petroleum | 112 MW | 1962 |
| 8 | International Paper Georgetown Mill | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 95.6 MW | 1966 |
| 9 | St Stephen | South Carolina | Hydroelectric | 84 MW | 1985 |
| 10 | Allora Solar, LLC | South Carolina | Solar | 75 MW | 2023 |
| 11 | Centerfield Cooper Solar, LLC | South Carolina | Solar | 75 MW | 2020 |
| 12 | Gunsight Solar, LLC | South Carolina | Solar | 75 MW | 2022 |
| 13 | Landrace Holdings, LLC | South Carolina | Solar | 55 MW | 2023 |
| 14 | Marlboro Mill | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 51.4 MW | 2010 |
| 15 | Allendale Biomass | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 22.5 MW | 2013 |
| 16 | Dorchester Biomass | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 22.5 MW | 2013 |
| 17 | Rankin Solar Center, LLC | South Carolina | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| 18 | Richland County Landfill | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 8.9 MW | 2006 |
| 19 | Omtanke Solar | South Carolina | Solar | 6 MW | 2020 |
| 20 | Lee County Landfill | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 5.7 MW | 2005 |
| 21 | Horry Land Fill Gas Site | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 4.2 MW | 2001 |
| 22 | Berkeley County Landfill | South Carolina | Biomass and waste | 3.2 MW | 2011 |
| 23 | Colleton Solar Farm | South Carolina | Solar | 2.5 MW | 2013 |
| 24 | Runway Solar Farm | South Carolina | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| 25 | Spillway | South Carolina | Hydroelectric | 2 MW | 1950 |
States
| State | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 28 | 5,978 MW |
Operators with the most capacity
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Public Service Authority | 12 | 5,281 MW |
| Cherokee County Cogen Partners LLC | 1 | 118 MW |
| International Paper Co-GT Mill | 1 | 95.6 MW |
| SunStrong Management | 2 | 85 MW |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | 1 | 84 MW |
| Allora Solar, LLC | 1 | 75 MW |
| Gunsight Solar, LLC | 1 | 75 MW |
| Landrace Holdings, LLC | 1 | 55 MW |
| Domtar Paper Company Bennettsville | 1 | 51.4 MW |
| Allendale Biomass LLC | 1 | 22.5 MW |