Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station
| Company type | Power station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Salem , United States |
Area served | South Carolina |
| Products | Electricity |
| Owner | Duke Energy |
The Bad Creek Hydroelectric Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric facility situated to the north of Salem in Oconee County, South Carolina. It is under the ownership of Duke Energy, with its most recent generator having been put into operation in 1991. This plant manages water transfer between the upper Bad Creek Reservoir—created by damming both Bad Creek and West Bad Creek—and the lower reservoir, known as Lake Jocassee.
When electricity demand is low, four Francis pump turbines transport water from Lake Jocassee, located at a lower elevation, up to the higher-elevation Bad Creek Reservoir through an underground tunnel. During periods of high energy requirement, the stored water flows back down through these turbines, which then function as generators to produce electricity before returning the water to Lake Jocassee. This operational process allows the station to serve predominantly as a peaking power facility.