CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a new 30-year operating
license for Duke Energy's Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project,
which will allow the company to continue operating the Jocassee
Pumped Storage Hydro Station, Keowee Hydro Station and associated
lakes.
"The project provides clean, renewable hydroelectric power
generation, supports regional public drinking water needs and
provides high-quality recreational opportunities for the region,"
said Steve Jester, Duke Energy's
vice president of water strategy, hydro licensing and lake
services. "This license ensures the availability of these resources
for future generations."
The Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project begins with Lake
Jocassee in North Carolina and
South Carolina. It flows into Lake
Keowee then downstream to the Army Corps of Engineers' Lake
Hartwell Project.
The Keowee-Toxaway project is made up of two reservoirs with two
powerhouses, spans approximately 25 river miles and encompasses
approximately 480 miles of shoreline. It provides 868 megawatts of
hydropower generation and cooling water for Oconee Nuclear Station,
which has the capacity to generate approximately 2,500 megawatts of
energy.
The new license takes effect Sept. 1,
2016, and represents a culmination of nearly a decade of
collaboration among governmental and community stakeholders.
"Receiving the license allows us to implement operational,
environmental and recreational resource enhancements that will
result in many benefits to the community and the environment for
decades to come," Jester said.
These benefits include improvements to existing public
recreational areas on Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee. The company
will also implement a Habitat Enhancement Program in the watershed
and conserve approximately 2,900 acres of property adjoining the
lakes to preserve and protect ecologically and culturally
significant resources.
The project was originally licensed in 1966 for 50 years. Duke
Energy filed the application to relicense the project in
August 2014.
The license application evaluated the impacts of Duke Energy's
operation during the next license term and includes a relicensing
agreement signed by Duke Energy and 16 other stakeholder
organizations.
It also includes a new operating agreement Duke Energy
negotiated with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Southeastern
Power Administration to improve operational coordination between
Duke Energy's project and Army Corps of Engineers' projects
downstream.
Duke Energy will carefully review the terms and conditions of
the new license during the 30-day review period and file any items
requiring clarification or rehearing with the FERC.
For more information about Duke Energy-managed lakes and
recreational resources, including relicensing, go to:
http://www.duke-energy.com/lakes.
Duke Energy Carolinas
Duke Energy Carolinas owns
nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas, renewables and hydroelectric
generation. That diverse fuel mix provides approximately 19,600
megawatts of owned electric capacity to about 2.5 million customers
in a 24,000-square-mile service area of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding
companies in the United States.
Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 7.4 million
electric customers located in six states in the Southeast and
Midwest, representing a population of approximately 24 million
people. Its Commercial Portfolio and International business
segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in
North America and Latin America, including a growing portfolio
of renewable energy assets in the United
States.
Headquartered in Charlotte,
N.C., Duke Energy is an S&P 100 Stock Index company
traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More
information about the company is available at
duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about remarkable people, innovations, and
community and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into
the past and insights into the future of energy.
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SOURCE Duke Energy