60th largest plant in South Carolina · 4487th nationally
Dorchester Biomass is a biomass power plant in South Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 22.5 MW. It generates roughly 152.3k MWh per year — enough to power about 14,504 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 77% puts it in the middle range — running steadily but not full-time. At 0 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits below the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (22.5 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Dorchester Biomass |
|---|---|
| Operator | Dorchester Biomass Llc |
| City | Harleyville |
| County | Dorchester County |
| State | South Carolina |
| ZIP | 29448 |
| Coordinates | 33.23861, -80.45028 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Wood/Wood Waste Biomass | Wood/Wood Waste | 22.5 MW | Operating | 2013 |
| SO₂ | 33 metric tons |
|---|---|
| NOₓ | 246 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 0 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | South Carolina Public Service Authority |
Biomass plants burn wood, agricultural waste, or methane from landfills to generate steam and electricity. They are considered carbon-neutral over long timescales when fuel is sustainably sourced, but they produce particulate emissions similar to coal.