H.F. Lee Energy Complex
| Company type | Power generation facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Predecessor | Goldsboro Plant |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founder | Carolina Power & Light Company |
| Headquarters | Goldsboro , United States |
Area served | North Carolina |
| Products | Electricity generation (coal-fired units until 2012, oil turbines until 2012, gas-fired combined cycle units since 2012) |
| Owner | Duke Energy |
The H.F. Lee Energy Complex, previously known as the Goldsboro Plant, is a power generation facility managed by Duke Energy. Initially under the ownership of Carolina Power & Light Company, the site began operations in 1951 with a coal-fired power station. Additional coal-fired units were brought online in 1952 and 1962, while oil-powered turbines were installed between 1967 and 1971. These older units were decommissioned in 2012 and supplanted by four advanced gas-fired units. The facility continues to utilize Quaker Neck Lake—originally constructed as a cooling reservoir for the coal plants—as its source of cooling water. In 1998, the lake’s containment was altered from a dam on the Neuse River to an earthen embankment, enhancing fish passage upstream. Adjacent ash ponds store coal ash, with ongoing initiatives aimed at removing and either recycling or securely disposing of this waste.
Power complex
The Goldsboro Plant was established in 1951 by Carolina Power & Light Company in Wayne County with an initial coal-fired unit, followed by a second unit in 1952. In 1962, a third coal unit capable of generating 252 MW was added; it was distinguished as the first fully electronically controlled coal-fired plant. At that time, the facility was renamed in honor of Harry Fitzhugh Lee, a retired district manager from CP&L. Between 1967 and 1971, four oil-fueled combustion turbines were incorporated into the plant.
In August 1999, Carolina Power & Light agreed to acquire Florida Progress Corporation; this merger was finalized in 2000, resulting in the formation of Progress Energy. By 2009, Progress Energy announced intentions to retire both the coal-fired units and combustion turbines at H.F. Lee. Following Progress Energy’s merger with Duke Energy in July 2012, the three coal-fired units ceased operations on September 15, 2012, and the oil-fueled turbines were shut down by October. Some combustion turbines in Wayne County remained operational.
A new gas-fired combined cycle facility with a capacity of 920 MW began operations at the complex in December 2012. The Lee Combined Cycle Plant comprises three turbines rated at 180 MW each and one turbine rated at 380 MW, all utilizing Quaker Neck Lake as their cooling water source.
Quaker Neck Lake cooling pond
Situated approximately 4.7 miles west of Goldsboro, North Carolina, at an elevation of 18 meters, Quaker Neck Lake was engineered as a cooling reservoir for the nearby power station. It is one among roughly 48 artificial ponds within the Neuse River basin. Covering an area of 545 acres, this earthen pond provides cooling water to the power complex located to its west. Although positioned within a pronounced bend of the Neuse River, Quaker Neck Lake remains physically separated from it.
In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew led to severe flooding across the region. Duke Energy reported a breach measuring between 50 and 60 feet along the southeastern section of the cooling pond’s embankment but anticipated only minimal effects on flooding within the river itself.
Quaker Neck Dam
Constructed in 1952 at river kilometer 225 along the Neuse River, the low-head Quaker Neck Dam served to impound cooling water for the steam electric facility. This structure stood seven feet tall and stretched 260 feet in length; it included a fish ladder designed to assist aquatic species in navigating past it. Despite this feature, during periods of high river flow the dam was submerged and was designated as a fish migration barrier by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1989 due to restricted fish passage.
After delays caused by Carolina Power & Light’s search for alternative cooling solutions, an alternative approach was developed between 1993 and 1996 that led to consensus on removing the dam. The dismantling process took place from December 1997 through August 1998, with Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt ceremonially initiating its removal. The dam was taken down in May 1998 at a cost of $222,000.
This removal restored upstream access for anadromous fish species—including alewife, blueback herring, striped bass, and American shad—to nearly 78 miles of the Neuse River and approximately 925 miles of its tributaries. Simultaneously, removal of Cherry Hospital Dam reopened access to an additional 76 miles of streams within Little River.
A study conducted in 1999 monitoring American shad migration revealed that most fish passed upstream beyond the former dam location but halted within about sixteen river kilometers further upstream. Nevertheless, comparative data from surveys conducted during the 1970s and early 2000s demonstrate significant expansion of spawning habitats for American shad, hickory shad, and striped bass following dam removal.
Ash basins
At the H.F. Lee Steam Plant, there are four coal ash containment basins. One active ash pond, secured by a dyke, is situated north of the river near Quaker Neck Lake. Meanwhile, three inactive basins lie upstream to the west; these are dry, covered with forest, and span approximately 170 acres with coal ash deposits ranging from 4 to 10 feet in thickness. A 2015 evaluation by Duke Energy revealed elevated concentrations of hazardous heavy metals such as arsenic, antimony, and thallium within these basins.
In October 2016, flooding caused the three inactive basins to become submerged. Duke Energy reported no significant threat of material discharge and confirmed that the active pond was not impacted. Conversely, environmental organizations observed visible coal ash leakage from at least one of the submerged inactive basins after more than a week underwater, underscoring the dangers of storing coal ash near water bodies. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy stressed the importance of removing coal ash from these pits and transferring it to lined, dry storage facilities located away from rivers.
By December 2016, Duke Energy pledged to recycle coal ash from these ponds into concrete manufacturing, aiming for complete excavation by 2028 in accordance with the Coal Ash Management Act. Ash that cannot be recycled would be deposited in lined landfills. While initially planning to landfill six million tons of ash in Lee County, the company redirected efforts toward developing technology to lower excess carbon content, thereby improving the ash’s suitability for use in concrete production.