Power plants in South Carolina
South Carolina has 215 power plants of 1 MW or more in the 2025 EIA-860 data, with 27.2 GW of nameplate capacity, the 18th-largest total among the 50 states and DC. Natural gas accounts for 29% of that capacity. The biggest single site is Oconee at 2,667 MW. Units that came online from 2020 to 2025 add 1,580 MW, led by solar at 82%. Units retired since 2016 at plants still operating total 1,020 MW, most of it natural gas.
- Natural gas7,964 MW29%
- Nuclear6,875 MW25%
- Coal5,159 MW19%
- Pumped-storage hydro3,041 MW11%
- Solar1,956 MW7.2%
- Hydroelectric1,349 MW5.0%
- Biomass and waste491 MW1.8%
- Oil and petroleum297 MW1.1%
- Battery storage88 MW0.3%
What is running, by the decade it came online
NuclearCoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricPumped-storage hydroSolarBattery storageBiomass and waste
Columns above the line show capacity still operating in 2025, stacked by fuel. Below the line: capacity retired in each decade at plants that still operate.
The 25 largest plants
| Rank | Plant | Runs on | Capacity | First unit | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oconee | Nuclear | 2,667 MW | 1973 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 2 | Cross | Coal | 2,452 MW | 1984 | South Carolina Public Service Authority |
| 3 | Catawba | Nuclear | 2,410 MW | 1985 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 4 | Bad Creek | Pumped-storage hydro | 1,680 MW | 1991 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 5 | Winyah | Coal | 1,276 MW | 1975 | South Carolina Public Service Authority |
| 6 | John S Rainey | Natural gas | 1,154 MW | 2001 | South Carolina Public Service Authority |
| 7 | Jasper | Natural gas | 1,068 MW | 2004 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 8 | V C Summer | Nuclear | 1,030 MW | 1984 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 9 | Broad River Energy Center | Natural gas | 985 MW | 2000 | Broad River Energy LLC |
| 10 | W S Lee | Natural gas | 955 MW | 2007 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 11 | Mill Creek (SC) | Natural gas | 799 MW | 2002 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 12 | Jocassee | Pumped-storage hydro | 774 MW | 1973 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| 13 | Wateree | Coal | 772 MW | 1970 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 14 | H B Robinson | Nuclear | 769 MW | 1971 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 15 | Urquhart | Natural gas | 759 MW | 1953 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 16 | Columbia Energy Center (SC) | Natural gas | 668 MW | 2004 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 17 | Williams | Coal | 660 MW | 1973 | South Carolina Genertg Co, Inc |
| 18 | Fairfield Pumped Storage | Pumped-storage hydro | 587 MW | 1978 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 19 | Cope | Natural gas | 417 MW | 1996 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 20 | J Strom Thurmond | Hydroelectric | 362 MW | 1953 | USCE-Savannah District |
| 21 | Darlington County | Natural gas | 316 MW | 1997 | Duke Energy Progress (NC) |
| 22 | McMeekin | Natural gas | 294 MW | 1958 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 23 | Saluda Lexington | Hydroelectric | 207 MW | 1930 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 24 | Hagood | Natural gas | 177 MW | 1991 | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc |
| 25 | Keowee | Hydroelectric | 158 MW | 1971 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
Largest plant for each main fuel
| Main fuel | Plants | Capacity | Largest plant | Its capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 20 | 7,958 MW | John S Rainey | 1,154 MW |
| Nuclear | 4 | 6,875 MW | Oconee | 2,667 MW |
| Coal | 4 | 5,159 MW | Cross | 2,452 MW |
| Pumped-storage hydro | 3 | 3,041 MW | Bad Creek | 1,680 MW |
| Solar | 125 | 1,919 MW | SR Lambert I, LLC | 100 MW |
| Hydroelectric | 29 | 1,349 MW | J Strom Thurmond | 362 MW |
| Biomass and waste | 16 | 494 MW | Sylvamo Corporation Eastover Facility | 110 MW |
| Oil and petroleum | 13 | 293 MW | Hilton Head | 118 MW |
| Battery storage | 1 | 132 MW | Lone Star Solar | 132 MW |
Balancing areas
| Area | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas | 81 | 11.3 GW |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina | 60 | 8,117 MW |
| Santee Cooper | 28 | 5,978 MW |
| Duke Energy Progress East | 45 | 1,474 MW |
| Southeastern Power Administration | 1 | 362 MW |
Biggest operators here
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | 15 | 9,763 MW |
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | 14 | 6,195 MW |
| South Carolina Public Service Authority | 12 | 5,281 MW |
| Duke Energy Progress (NC) | 2 | 1,085 MW |
| Broad River Energy LLC | 1 | 985 MW |
| South Carolina Genertg Co, Inc | 1 | 660 MW |
| SunStrong Management | 18 | 372 MW |
| USCE-Savannah District | 1 | 362 MW |
| Cubico USA, LLC | 3 | 222 MW |
| Lone Star Solar | 1 | 132 MW |