OCONEE
OperatingNuclear power plant
- Capacity
- 2,667 MW
- Primary fuel
- Nuclear
- County
- Oconee County
- Operator
- DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1973
- EIA plant ID
- 3265
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Nuclear
- Net generation (2024)
- 21,698 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 93%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.7940, -82.8982
OCONEE, a 2,667 MW Nuclear power plant in Oconee County, South Carolina. Operated by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, commissioned 1973.
How OCONEE compares
With 2,667 MW of capacity, OCONEE is the largest of the 83 operating power plants Bywatts maps in South Carolina and the largest of the 4 operating Nuclear plants in the state. It accounts for about 39% of South Carolina's operating Nuclear capacity and 11% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 4th-largest of the 55 operating Nuclear plants in the database. Commissioned in 1973, it is older than 59% of the 82 operating South Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, runs 15 operating plants in South Carolina totaling 8,471 MW. It shares Oconee County with 3 other operating plants, including BAD CREEK and SENECA CITY OF.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 2,667 MW of nameplate capacity, all nuclear technology. Net generation was 21,698 GWh in 2024 (a 93% capacity factor), up 3% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1973 and 1974.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 500 kV line owned by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 1,857 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BAD CREEK (1,065 MW, Hydro).
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
OCONEE is a 2,667 MW nuclear power plant in Oconee County, SC, operated by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, commissioned in 1973. Oconee County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.3 of 5 at the 33rd national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 89th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Oconee County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89th | 4.6 of 5 | 61.1 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 0.04 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | 0.79 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.34 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 44th | 2.7 of 5 | 4.4 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 5.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 15th | 1.6 of 5 | 2.2 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 0.88 |
Perils not assessed in Oconee 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 Oconee 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.