Notice2025-14500
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Application Tendered for Filing With the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for Relicensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments
Primary source
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Published
July 31, 2025
Issuing agencies
Energy DepartmentFederal Energy Regulatory Commission
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 145 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 145 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36040-36041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-14500]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
[Project No. 2740-053]
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC; Notice of Application Tendered for
Filing With the Commission and Establishing Procedural Schedule for
Relicensing and Deadline for Submission of Final Amendments
Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
a. Type of Application: New Major License.
b. Project No.: 2740-053.
c. Date Filed: July 14, 2025.
d. Applicant: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke Energy).
e. Name of Project: Bad Creek Pumped Storage Project (Bad Creek
Project).
f. Location: Oconee County, South Carolina.
g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. 791 (a)-825(r).
h. Applicant Contact: Alan Stuart, Hydro Licensing Project Manager,
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Mail Code DEP-35B 525 South Tryon Street,
Charlotte, NC 28202; (980) 373-2079; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#244548454a0a5750514556506440514f41091845044c56414219" http: energy.com">energy.com</a>">alan.stuart@duke-<a href="http://energy.com">energy.com</a></a>.
i. FERC Contact: Sarah Salazar at (202) 502-6863, or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#691a081b0801471a08050813081b290f0c1b0a470e061f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="95e6f4e7f4fdbbe6f4f9f4eff4e7d5f3f0e7f6bbf2fae3">[email protected]</span></a>.
j. This application is not ready for environmental analysis at this
time.
k. Project Description: The existing Bad Creek Pumped Storage
Project includes: (1) a 363-acre upper reservoir with a storage
capacity of 35,513 acre-feet, of which 31,808 acre-feet is usable
storage capacity between minimum elevation 2,150 feet mean sea level
(msl) and full pond elevation of 2,310 feet msl; (2) a rockfill dam
across Bad Creek with crest elevation at 2,315 feet msl, 2,581 feet
long, and 360 feet high; (3) a rockfill dam across West Bad Creek with
crest elevation at 2,315 feet msl, 908 feet long and 170 feet high; (4)
a saddle dike across a natural depression on the eastern rim of the
reservoir with crest elevation at 2,313 feet msl, 960 feet long, and 90
feet high; (5) an ungated water intake structure in the upper
reservoir; (6) a power tunnel totaling 5,026 feet long and 29.53 feet
in diameter, connecting to four concrete, steel-lined penstocks about
386 feet long and varying from 13.78 to 8.43 feet in diameter; (7) an
underground powerhouse containing four reversible pump-generating
units, with a nameplate rating of 350,000 kilowatts each, for a total
generating capacity of 1,400 megawatts (MW); (8) four concrete-lined
draft tube tunnels about 316 feet long and 16.4 feet in diameter,
connecting to two concrete-lined tailrace tunnels about 875 feet long
and 24.61 feet in diameter; (9) an inlet/outlet structure equipped with
four 20-foot by 30-foot, steel lift gates, located in the existing Lake
Jocassee which serves as the lower reservoir; (10) transmission
facilities consisting of (a) generator leads connecting the powerhouse
to four above ground step-up transformers, (b) a 100-kV transmission
line extending about 9.25 miles from the Bad Creek switchyard to the
Jocassee switchyard, (c) a 525-kV transmission line extending about
9.25 miles from the Bad Creek switchyard to the Jocassee switchyard;
and (11) appurtenant facilities. The project also includes an existing
4.8-mile-long road that leads from the project entrance to the
powerhouse area near Lake Jocassee.
The project is an automated pumped storage plant where water is
regularly moved from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir during
generation, and from the lower reservoir back to the upper reservoir
during pumping. All water utilized for generation originates from the
7,980-acre lower reservoir (Lake Jocassee) which has a normal maximum
elevation of 1,110 feet msl and normal minimum elevation of 1,080 feet
msl. The project is licensed to operate on a weekly pump-storage cycle
with the upper reservoir fluctuating between 2,310 feet msl (normal
max. elevation) and 2,150 feet msl (normal min. elevation), resulting
in a maximum drawdown of 160 feet and 31,808 acre-feet useable storage
capacity. In practice, the project operates in a daily pump-storage
cycle by maintaining the upper reservoir above 2,250 feet msl for
approximately 97% of the time to maximize head and unit efficiency. The
average annual generation of the project is about 1,884,685 MWh. The
average annual energy required for pumping during the same period is
about 2,398,114 MWh. The net energy consumption of the project is
513,429 MWh.
Duke Energy proposes to continue to operate and maintain the
project as well as to construct, operate, and maintain a second
generating facility, the Bad Creek II Complex, which would consist of a
new: (1) upper reservoir inlet/outlet structure, (2) water conveyance
system, (3) underground powerhouse, (4) powerhouse access tunnels, (5)
lower reservoir inlet/outlet structure, (6) switchyard, (7) transformer
yard, and (8) transmission line. The proposed powerhouse would include
four new, reversible pump-turbine units with an installed generating
and pumping capacity between 106 MW and 425 MW. Average annual
generation would increase by up to 25,856 MWh. No modifications would
be made to the existing upper and lower reservoirs. Duke Energy
proposes a new project boundary that includes all lands necessary for
access, or control of, the expanded project.
l. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (<a href="http://www.ferc.gov">http://www.ferc.gov</a>),
using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number, excluding the
last three digits in the docket number field to access the document (P-
14796). For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cf898a9d8c80a1a3a6a1aa9cbabfbfa0bdbb8fa9aabdace1a8a0b9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c4828196878baaa8adaaa197b1b4b4abb6b084a2a1b6a7eaa3abb2">[email protected]</span></a>, (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or (202) 502-
8659 (TTY).
You may also register online at <a href="https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx">https://ferconline.ferc.gov/FERCOnline.aspx</a> to be notified via email of new filings and issuances
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC
Online Support.
m. The Commission's Office of Public Participation (OPP) supports
meaningful public engagement and participation in Commission
proceedings. OPP can help members of the public, including landowners,
community organizations, Tribal members and others, access publicly
available information and navigate Commission processes. For public
inquiries and assistance with making filings such as interventions,
comments, or requests for rehearing, the
[[Page 36041]]
public is encouraged to contact OPP at (202) 502-6595, or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c435c5c4c6a697e6f226b637a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c18e919181a7a4b3a2efa6aeb7">[email protected]</span></a>.
n. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according
to the following preliminary schedule. Revisions to the schedule will
be made as appropriate.
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Milestone Target
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Deficiency Letter (if necessary)... August 2025.
Additional Information Request (if August 2025.
necessary).
Notice of Acceptance/Notice of September 2025.
Ready for Environmental Analysis.
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o. Final amendments to the application must be filed with the
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of the notice
of ready for environmental analysis.
Dated: July 28, 2025.
Carlos D. Clay,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2025-14500 Filed 7-30-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P
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