NCMPA1 and Central Reach Purchase Power Agreement on 150 MW Catawba Generation

RALEIGH, N.C. (JUNE 8, 2023) — North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1) and Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (Central) have reached a Purchase Power Agreement enabling Central to purchase nuclear capacity and energy associated with a portion of NCMPA1’s ownership interest in the Catawba Nuclear Station. The Catawba Nuclear Station, which consists of two identical units, is jointly owned by NCMPA1, Duke Energy Carolinas, Piedmont Municipal Power Agency, and the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation, with NCMPA1 owning 75% of Catawba Unit 2. Under the terms of the Purchase Power Agreement Central will receive 18 percent of NCMPA1’s project output.

NCMPA1 is made up of 19 cities and towns in piedmont and western North Carolina and provides wholesale power to its 19 participants. If completed, the agreement would diversify NCMPA1’s energy resource portfolio and provide wholesale electric rate savings to NCMPA1’s 19 member communities. The agreement would provide Central, a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative, with additional nuclear capacity to serve South Carolina’s 20 distribution cooperatives.

Completion of the agreement is subject to several conditions including unanimous consent of all 19 of the NCMPA1 participant city and town councils. Should all conditions be met, the sale would be effective January 1, 2024.

About ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc. (representing NCMPA1)

ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc., is the membership organization that provides power supply and related critical services to over 90 community-owned electric systems in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—collectively known as public power. ElectriCities manages the power supply for two power agencies in North Carolina and provides technical services to assist members in operating their electric distribution systems. ElectriCities also helps these locally owned and operated public power providers thrive today and in the future by delivering innovative services, including legislative, technical, communications, and economic development expertise.

Visit www.electricities.com to learn more about the benefits of public power and how ElectriCities helps communities keep the lights on through access to safe, reliable, and affordable energy.

Media contact
Elizabeth Kadick
VP, Communications
919-760-6285
ekadick@electricities.org

About Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc.

Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. Together, Central and its 20 member cooperatives serve more than 1.6 million South Carolinians and cover more than 70% of the state’s land mass. South Carolina’s independent, member-owned electric cooperatives formed Central in 1948 in order to pool their resources to purchase wholesale power more efficiently and effectively. As explained in its mission statement, Central “exists solely for the benefit of its members” and one of Central’s most important jobs is to plan for the future power supply needs of its member cooperatives.

Media contact
Avery Wilks
VP, Communications
803-374-3115
Avery.Wilks@ecsc.org