SHERWOOD H SMITH JR ENERGY COMPLEX
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 2,282 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Richmond County
- Operator
- PROGRESS ENERGY CAROLINAS INC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2001
- EIA plant ID
- 7805
- Generators
- 11
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 9,424 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 48%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.8379, -79.7370
SHERWOOD H SMITH JR ENERGY COMPLEX, a 2,282 MW Natural Gas power plant in Richmond County, North Carolina.
How SHERWOOD H SMITH JR ENERGY COMPLEX compares
With 2,282 MW of capacity, SHERWOOD H SMITH JR ENERGY COMPLEX ranks 3rd among the 205 operating power plants Bywatts maps in North Carolina and is the largest of the 10 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 27% of North Carolina's operating Natural Gas capacity and 7.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 11th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2001, it is older than 59% of the 183 operating North Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, PROGRESS ENERGY CAROLINAS INC, runs 13 operating plants in North Carolina totaling 11,962 MW. It shares Richmond County with 2 other operating plants, HAMLET GENERATING FACILITY and ROCK FARM.
EIA-860 lists 11 generators at the site with 2,245 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 9,424 GWh in 2024 (a 48% capacity factor), down 5% from 2022. Its generators came online between 2001 and 2011.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by PROGRESS ENERGY CAROLINAS INC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 8 operating power plants totaling 787 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is ANSON COUNTY GENERATION FACILITY (344 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
SHERWOOD H SMITH JR ENERGY COMPLEX is a 2,282 MW natural gas power plant in Richmond County, NC, operated by PROGRESS ENERGY CAROLINAS INC, commissioned in 2001. Richmond County carries elevated modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.9 of 5 at the 47th national percentile. Hurricane is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 83rd percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Richmond County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 0.19 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | 1.3 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69th | 3.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.23 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 2.8 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 47th | 2.9 of 5 | 3.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 53.9 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 6.2 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 0.75 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 9th | 1.3 of 5 | 4.2 |
Perils not assessed in Richmond County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Richmond County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.