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Lee Combined Cycle Plant

Gas power plant in North Carolina, United States of America. Approximate location 35.3736, -78.0894.

GasNorth CarolinaUnited States of AmericaCCGT · HRSG

Lee Combined Cycle Plant is a 1,068 MW gas power station in North Carolina, United States of America. It is operated by Duke Energy Progress - (NC). Based on reported annual generation of 6,648 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.9 million homes. It ranks #622 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2013, it is around 13 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 40.0% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

1,068Legacy source-record capacity
1HRSG unit(s)
6,648GWh reported / yr
1,899,571homes powered
2013commissioned (~13 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0058215.

Data status

Known data

FacilityLee Combined Cycle Plant WRI
CountryUnited States of America · North Carolina WRI
Coordinates35.3736, -78.0894 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity1,068 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerDuke Energy Progress - (NC) WRI
Commissioned2013 WRI
TechnologyCCGT · HRSG WRI
GWh reported / yr6,648 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,659,400 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#622 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#198 of 2165 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers8.81× · 121 MW median · 2165 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent1,899,571 calculated from reported generation
Climate16.2°C · HDD 1,524 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 41/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,068 MW, Lee Combined Cycle Plant is well above the median gas plant in United States of America (121 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2013: 6,548 GWh20132014: 5,731 GWh20142015: 6,473 GWh20152016: 6,402 GWh20162017: 7,293 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 6,648 GWh20197k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Duke Energy Progress - (NC). All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 35.4°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

16.2°Cannual mean temp
1,524heating degree-days (base 18°C)
880cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
35 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 6 °CJF: 7 °CFM: 11 °CMA: 16 °CAM: 20 °CMJ: 24 °CJJ: 26 °CJA: 25 °CAS: 23 °CSO: 16 °CON: 12 °CND: 7 °CD26 °C

Heating degree-days here run 38% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 34/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~1% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
41/100environmental-severity index
20.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
134 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #198 largest gas power plant of 2165 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 2165 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 789,950 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 35.3736, -78.0894 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Lee Combined Cycle Plant?

Lee Combined Cycle Plant is a 1,068 MW source-record gas power plant in North Carolina, United States of America, commissioned in 2013.

How much electricity does Lee Combined Cycle Plant generate?

Lee Combined Cycle Plant generates about 6,648 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Lee Combined Cycle Plant power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 1,899,571 homes.

Who operates Lee Combined Cycle Plant?

Lee Combined Cycle Plant is operated by Duke Energy Progress - (NC).

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