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Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station

Coordinates: 35°26′06″N 80°57′30″W / 35.4349°N 80.9584°W / 35.4349; -80.9584
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Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station
LocationMecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States
StatusOperational
Construction began1959
Opening date1963
Owner(s)Duke Energy
Operator(s)Duke Energy
Dam and spillways
Height (foundation)134 ft
Length8738 ft
Reservoir
CreatesLake Norman
Total capacity1,093,600 acre-feet (1,348,900,000 m³)
Surface area50.80 sq mi (131.6 km2)
Turbines4 x 87.5MWKaplan-type
Installed capacity350.0 MW
Annual generation154,287.4 MWh
Providing relief at the Cowan's Ford Dam because of above average rain fall in the spring and summer of 2013.
Cowans Ford Dam

Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station is a hydroelectric power plant and dam located near Huntersville, North Carolina, approximately 20 miles north of Charlotte on Lake Norman. It is the largest conventional hydro station owned by Duke Energy, generating up to 350 MW of power.[1]

Three units began generating electricity in 1963, with a fourth unit beginning operation in 1967. They supply "peaking power"—extra electricity needed to meet demand when it is needed most—typically hot summer days and cold winter mornings.[1]

Cowans Ford Dam impounds the Catawba River to create Lake Norman, the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina. The lake provides water to Lincoln County and the communities of Davidson, Mooresville, Charlotte and Huntersville. The lake was named for former Duke Power president Norman Cocke.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/historic-preservation-office/PDFs/ER%2003-0359.pdf National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Evaluation of the Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Development. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  2. ^ "Lake Norman". Archived from the original on 2011-10-16. Retrieved 2012-08-12.

35°26′06″N 80°57′30″W / 35.4349°N 80.9584°W / 35.4349; -80.9584