COWANS FORD

How COWANS FORD compares

With 350 MW of capacity, COWANS FORD ranks 19th among the 205 operating power plants Bywatts maps in North Carolina and is the largest of the 36 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 18% of North Carolina's operating Hydro capacity and 1.2% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 60th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1963, it is older than 82% of the 183 operating North Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, runs 27 operating plants in North Carolina totaling 13,073 MW. It shares Lincoln County with 4 other operating plants, including LINCOLN COMBUSTION and HIGH SHOALS HYDRO.

EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 350 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 182 GWh in 2024 (a 5.9% capacity factor). Its generators came online between 1963 and 1967.

Grid neighborhood

The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 22 operating power plants totaling 6,333 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MCGUIRE (2,441 MW, Nuclear). Within 50 miles are 3 mapped data centers; the nearest is Carolina Internet / CaroNet XB in Charlotte, about 17.7 miles away.

Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology