HAMLET — Duke Energy welcomed residents to ask questions and give feedback on plans to add another natural gas turbine at the Sherwood J. Smith Jr. Energy Complex.
The information session was held Tuesday, Sept. 9 in the rotunda of the Hamlet Depot.
According to a fact sheet, the Smith Complex — located on Airport Road, south of Hamlet — opened in 2001 and had “significant upgrades” in 2002 and 2011.
The facility features two combined cycle units that generate 1,250 megawatts of power and five combustion turbines with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts.
Space was left for a sixth combustion turbine, which Duke plans to install within the next few years.
Jason Walls, public engagement director, said the unit will allow Duke “to really support the capacity to grow energy needs of the entire state and region” — not just Richmond County.
“This plant, in particular, is really designed to support the entire grid …whether it’s a commercial or economic development project or residential community or just general low growth across the region and this state, this plant will serve all those purposes,” Walls said.
Regional General Manager Justin Herrera said a generator in Florida can help keep the grid stable in North Carolina.
Current combustion turbines at the Smith Energy Complex south of Hamlet.
Duke Energy
Earlier this year, Amazon Web Services announced that it would be investing $10 billion into a data center campus directly across the road from the plant in the Energy Way Industrial Park.
The fact sheet states that energy consumption in the Carolinas is expected to increase by 58,000 gigawatt-hours — more than the current annual combined usage of Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming — over the next 15 years.
The Smith Complex currently employs around 40 people from across the region, according to Herrera.
“The folks that are out there are primarily trained to be operators, but they have maintenance skills as well,” Herrera said.
Installation of the new turbine will bring an estimated 200-250 temporary workers to the community, Walls said, which will create a large economic impact — especially for the food and lodging industries.
One of the information boards set up for the meeting states that the new turbine will:
Another board showed that sulfur dioxide emissions in North Carolina have decreased by more than 98% in the past 20 years. The state has also seen drops in nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide rates.
Duke is expected to apply for an air permit next year and, if all permits are granted, the turbine should be operational by 2029.
A webinar about the project is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16 from noon-1 p.m.
For more information, visit the project website at https://www.duke-energy.com/info/smith.
NOTE: This story has been modified to add a link to a previous story. 12:40 p.m. 9-12-25.
