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Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Public Hearing

SCDES will hold a public hearing on Oct. 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. to accept oral and written comments on the the draft Air Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Construction Permit for Duke Energy Carolinas LLC to construct and operate an Advanced Class Combined-Cycle power generating station. The hearing will be held at McFalls Landing located at 1625 Broadway Lake Rd., Anderson, SC. At 5:30 pm, SCDES will host an availability session to answer questions regarding the project in a one-on-one format. The availability session will conclude at 6:20 pm, to allow time for transition to the public hearing. Anyone who plans to attend the public hearing or availability session is encouraged to complete the pre-registration form by 12:00pm on Oct. 13, 2026.  

- Public Notice & Other Documents
- Submit a Comment
- Hearing Registration Form

Duke Energy Carolinas is seeking environmental permits from SCDES to construct and operate an Advanced Class Combined-Cycle Combustion Turbine (CCCT) power generating plant in Anderson County. The primary fuel source for the turbines as proposed will be natural gas, with No. 2 fuel oil (ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD)), as a backup fuel source

SCDES will be reviewing applications submitted by Duke Energy Carolinas (Applicant) for the project.  As applications are received, SCDES will review detailed reports, studies, modeling, and engineered designs based on state and federal environmental laws and regulations for program areas including air quality, wastewater, and stormwater. For a project the scale and scope of the proposed plant, permit applications are not typically submitted at the same time.  

The following applications have been submitted and are currently undergoing review: 

This webpage has been developed by SCDES as a community resource and will be updated as new information is made available. Please bring this webpage to the attention of others you know who may be interested.

Anderson Combined Cycle Site

The proposed project is located south of the City of Anderson in unincorporated Anderson County.  
 

A map of Anderson County, South Carolina, showing major roads and nearby towns, including Anderson, Northlake, Homeland Park, and Starr. Interstate 85 appears in the upper left. A red star marks the location of a “Proposed Facility” southwest of Anderson, with a label and arrow pointing to the site. Surrounding roads include Highway 28, Highway 29, Highway 187, Hayes Road, and Broadway School Road. Lakes and shaded terrain features are also visible.
Figure 1: General Site Location
An aerial map showing a highlighted project area near several industrial buildings and roadways. A purple polygon marks the proposed plant site within a larger black-outlined project site boundary. A wide yellow corridor labeled “Existing Transmission Right‑of‑Way” crosses diagonally through the map. Another yellow area labeled “Approximate plant location” is positioned to the southwest. Major roads such as Highway 11 and Gaffney Road are visible, along with surrounding wooded and developed land. A north arrow is shown in the bottom right corner.
Figure 2: Site Details 

 

SCDES’s Bureau of Air Quality issues air quality permits that limit the amount of regulated air pollutants emitted at a facility. Air construction permits are issued to a facility to specify what conditions must be met to demonstrate compliance with state and federal air quality regulations and standards. These air quality regulations and standards are established to be protective of public health and the environment.

Summary of Application Under Review 

The Project as proposed is designed to generate a net electrical output of approximately 1365 megawatts (MW). The application under review is for the construction of a new combined-cycle power block consisting of two combustion turbines (CT), two heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), and one steam turbine (ST). Ancillary equipment will include one (1) natural gas-fired auxiliary boiler, one (1) emergency diesel-fired generator, one (1) emergency diesel-fired fire water pump engine, two (2) natural gas-fired dew point heaters, two (2) ultra-low-sulfur diesel storage tanks, and an electric-driven compressor station that includes a natural gas-fired emergency generator and 24 small natural gas-fired heaters. 

Duke Energy has applied to obtain a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permit.  A PSD is designed to:

  • protect public health and welfare;
  • preserve, protect, and enhance the air quality in national parks, national wilderness areas, national monuments, national seashores, and other areas of special national or regional natural, recreational, scenic, or historic value;
  • assure that any decision to permit increased air pollution in any area to which this section applies is made only after careful evaluation of all the consequences of such a decision and after adequate procedural opportunities for informed public participation in the decision-making process.

The application includes supporting data and ambient air impact analysis. The application was received on March 11, 2026. SCDES Air Permitting staff have undertaken a technical review that entails reviewing emission calculations, performing a regulatory review, review of the proposed Best Available Control Technology (BACT), conducting an ambient air quality analysis, and verifying that the proposed project can meet all applicable air quality regulations if constructed and operated as proposed in the air permit application.  

Status

Unlike many regulatory programs where an application is placed on notice at the start of the agency’s review. Air Quality Regulations call for the draft permit to be placed on public notice for review and comment. SCDES will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. to accept written and verbal comments on the proposed project. Prior to the start of the hearing, SCDES Staff from the Bureau of Air Quality will host an availability session beginning at 5:30 P.M. to answer questions regarding the project in a one-on-one format. The availability session will conclude at 6:20 P.M., to allow time for transition to the public hearing. The hearing and availability session will be held at: McFalls Landing 1625 Broadway Lake Rd Anderson, South Carolina Pre-Registration Anyone who plans to attend the public hearing or availability session is encouraged to complete the pre-registration form. Pre-registration will close at noon on Oct. 13, 2026.

A copy of the application was also provided to the US EPA and the Federal Land Managers (FLM) at USDA Forest Service and National Park Service (NPS). I).  

Duke Energy is evaluating options for the supply of water for the facility’s use in cooling and process makeup. Options include purchasing from a public supplier.

Status

SCDES has no applications for water supply for this project. 

 

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a federal program created in 1972 under the Clean Water Act to regulate the discharge of pollutants to waterways from regulated sources. Stormwater discharges from Duke Energy Anderson site will be regulated both during construction as Construction Site Stormwater Runoff and will continue to need a permit under the NPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit once it goes into operation.

Construction Stormwater

To perform clearing and grading of the site, the Applicants must apply for an NPDES stormwater permit.

To seek coverage under the NPDES General Permit, applicants must engage professional engineers to prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), a site-specific document or collection of documents that identifies the potential sources of stormwater pollution, describes stormwater control measures, such as Best Management Practices (BMPs), to reduce or eliminate the identified pollutants. The SWPPP identifies procedures operators will implement to comply with specific permit conditions.

Since the project is in an area where Anderson County operates a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), Anderson County Stormwater will review the SWPPP. Their approval is required before the application is submitted to SCDES seeking coverage under the NPDES Construction General Permit.

The Stormwater Permitting Section will be reviewing the project SWPPP, engineering report, and proposed site plan to include detention structures for compliance with the Construction General Permit. 

Status

No stormwater applications have been submitted for this project. 

Industrial Stormwater

Prior to the start of any industrial activity at the facility, an Industrial Stormwater Notice of Intent under Permit number SCR000000 should be submitted for any industrial stormwater outfalls not covered under a separate NPDES permit. The facility would be required to adhere to the Industrial Stormwater General Permit SCR000000, including maintaining a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) onsite, as well as any monitoring required by Sector O based on the facility’s industrial activity. Effluent limit guidelines associated with Sector O requirements only apply to steam electric generating facilities with coal storage piles.

Process wastewater generated at the facility is proposed to be discharged to a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW). Industries that discharge to a POTW must manage their wastewater so it does not interfere with the treatment plant’s operations. If an industry must install a pretreatment system to meet the discharge limits established in the POTW’s ordinance or in its local industrial user permit, the Department must issue a wastewater construction permit before that pretreatment system is built or operated.

Status

No wastewater construction applications have been submitted to SCDES for the Duke Energy Anderson Plant for wastewater. 
 

Section 401 and 404 permits are complementary regulatory tools under the Clean Water Act, with 401 focusing on state water quality certification and 404 regulating dredge and fill activities in Waters of the United States. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands, streams, lakes, ponds, etc. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) administers the permit program. Regulated activities may include:

  • Depositing fill, dredged, or excavated material into waters
  • Grading or mechanized clearing of wetlands

Section 401 requires states to certify that a federally permitted activity complies with the state’s water quality standards. Projects, such as Duke Energy, which may need a 404 permit must also obtain a 401 Water Quality Certification from SCDES.  

The first step to determining if a water feature is subject to state and federal rules under section 404/401 is for a professional to evaluate the limits of waters of the U.S. Applicants will often request USACE issue a Jurisdictional Determination (JD) to demonstrate their concurrence with the evaluation. 

Duke Energy may need a permit to fill wetlands depending on factors including site layout. 

Status

No applications requesting to fill wetlands have been submitted to SCDES.