2nd largest plant in South Carolina · 44th nationally
Catawba is a nuclear power plant in South Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 2,410 MW. It generates roughly 19.2M MWh per year — enough to power about 1,825,287 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 91% means it runs nearly around-the-clock as baseload generation.
| Plant Name | Catawba |
|---|---|
| Operator | Duke Energy Carolinas, Llc |
| City | York |
| County | York County |
| State | South Carolina |
| ZIP | 29745 |
| Coordinates | 35.05140, -81.06940 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,205 MW | Operating | 1985 |
| 2 | Nuclear | Uranium | 1,205 MW | Operating | 1986 |
| Owner | Location | Share |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Raleigh, NC | 7500.0% |
| North Carolina El Member Corp | Raleigh, NC | 6151.0% |
| Duke Energy Carolinas, Llc | Charlotte, NC | 3849.0% |
| Piedmont Municipal Power Agny | Greer, SC | 2500.0% |
Ownership reported to EIA Form 860. Percentages reflect reported generator-level ownership share, averaged when a plant has multiple generators.
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Duke Energy Carolinas |
Nuclear plants generate carbon-free baseload electricity by fissioning uranium fuel inside a reactor. They run nearly around-the-clock — typical capacity factors above 90% — and a single facility can power millions of homes. Spent fuel is stored on-site in dry casks. NRC oversees safety; emergency planning zones extend 10 miles from the reactor.