Cowans Ford
Hydro power plant in Lincoln County, North Carolina. 350 MW of nameplate capacity across 4 generators, operated by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Also known as Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station · EIA plant 2722
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 350 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 4 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- September 1963First generator online
- Operator
- Duke Energy Carolinas, LLCEIA operator ID 5416
- Grid
- DUKBalancing authority DUK
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Lincoln County, NC35.4346, −80.9588
- EIA plant ID
- 2722EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Cowans Ford produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
125 GWh
124,930 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
4.1%
2024: 5.9%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2015 to 2025
120.4–345.6
GWh a year. Low 2017, high 2020
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 80,759 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 62,147 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 62,138 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 264,840 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 192,350 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 174,608 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 113,910 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 97,959 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 60,778 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 162,152 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 158,899 | 5.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 100,006 | 3.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 100,905 | 3.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 258,090 | 8.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 148,025 | 4.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 156,060 | 5.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 140,580 | 4.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 120,382 | 3.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 311,203 | 10.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 263,714 | 8.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 345,572 | 11.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 179,301 | 5.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 144,370 | 4.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 136,463 | 4.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 182,023 | 5.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 124,930 | 4.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024. Plants without steam cooling, such as wind, solar and batteries, do not report cooling water.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 87.5 | September 1963 |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 87.5 | September 1963 |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 87.5 | September 1963 |
| 4 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 87.5 | April 1967 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
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Power plants near Cowans Ford
More plants operated by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC
Questions about Cowans Ford
How much power does Cowans Ford produce?
Cowans Ford reported 124,930 MWh (125 GWh) of net generation in 2025, a 4.1% capacity factor on 350 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Cowans Ford?
Cowans Ford is in Lincoln County, North Carolina, at 35.4346, −80.9588. It is in the Duke Energy Carolinas balancing area (DUK).
Who operates Cowans Ford?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC as the operator (EIA operator ID 5416). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Cowans Ford start operating?
Its first generator began operating in September 1963, according to EIA-860M.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page