FERC Reviews Comments on Duke Energy’s Bad Creek Pumped Storage Relicensing

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) staff is currently reviewing public comments on Duke Energy’s application to relicense the Bad Creek pumped storage project in Oconee County, with the next step being an environmental study, according to agency spokeswoman Celeste Miller. Comments show strong local support for the relicensing, including a letter from the Oconee County Council. However, the North Carolina Utilities Commission expressed concerns in a 13-page filing, stating it does not oppose the new license or the proposed Bad Creek II expansion, but believes several of Duke Energy’s protection, mitigation, and enhancement (PM&E) measures go beyond legal requirements. The NCUC also recommended that the FERC license clearly specify that any PM&E measures tied to Bad Creek II should only take effect if and when construction and operation of that phase actually begins, noting that Duke Energy has currently paused those expansion plans.