COLUMBIA ENERGY CENTER
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 669 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Calhoun County
- Operator
- COLUMBIA ENERGY LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2004
- EIA plant ID
- 55386
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 3,259 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 56%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 33.8701, -81.0180
COLUMBIA ENERGY CENTER, a 669 MW Natural Gas power plant in Calhoun County, South Carolina. Operated by COLUMBIA ENERGY LLC, commissioned 2004.
How COLUMBIA ENERGY CENTER compares
With 669 MW of capacity, COLUMBIA ENERGY CENTER ranks 15th among the 83 operating power plants Bywatts maps in South Carolina and 6th of the 12 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 11% of South Carolina's operating Natural Gas capacity and 2.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 218th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2004, it is newer than 81% of the 82 operating South Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 669 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 3,259 GWh in 2024 (a 56% capacity factor), up 20% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTRIC&GAS CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 7 operating power plants totaling 1,441 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WATEREE (772 MW, Coal).
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
COLUMBIA ENERGY CENTER is a 669 MW natural gas power plant in Calhoun County, SC, operated by COLUMBIA ENERGY LLC, commissioned in 2004. Calhoun County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.5 of 5 at the 38th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 86th 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.
Calhoun County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | 1.2 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 61.4 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 42nd | 2.7 of 5 | 0.29 |
| Hail | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.8 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 0.25 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | 1.5 |
Perils not assessed in Calhoun 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 Calhoun 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.