Lockhart Power Company is an electric utility that is regulated by the SC Public Service Commission and by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Lockhart Power’s self-generated electricity comes entirely from renewable resources, including 5 hydroelectric plants, 2 landfill gas facilities, and 1 solar installation. It also has emergency backup power to ensure continuous service during grid outages.
Lockhart Power Business
Lockhart Power provides power generation, transmission, distribution and lighting services to a range of residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale customers in Union, Spartanburg, Chester, York, and Cherokee counties in South Carolina.
Lockhart Power is an active member of the community it calls home. The company annually supports categories of giving such as education, quality of life, the arts, economic development and community services. Lockhart provides scholarships to Union County students, spearheads housing initiatives, and is deeply involved in community and economic development initiatives in Union County, contributing to the region’s growth and prosperity.
Contributions made to local nonprofit organizations, both financially and in-kind, have enhanced the sustainability of the communities that Lockhart serves.
History of Lockhart Power Company
Founded in 1912, Lockhart Power has sustainably and reliably served its communities for over 100 years.
Important Developments
In 2017, Lockhart installed a 60 MW substation in Pacolet’s Tyger River Industrial Park. The addition of 60 MWs of electric service capacity represents a significant growth opportunity for the Park. World class companies such as Keurig Dr Pepper and Magna Seating have already located there.
In December 2018, Lockhart Power, in partnership with Union County, completed construction of a 100,000 square foot speculative industrial building in Pacolet Milliken’s Midway Green Industrial Park. In 2022, the building was purchased by MycoWorks, a biotechnology company specializing in mycelium-grown materials for use as sustainable, luxury-quality leather alternatives. Mycelium is the network of threads or roots from which mushrooms grow.
Lockhart Power, together with Pacolet Milliken, developed a utility scale solar facility on land adjacent to Pacolet’s Midway Green Industrial Park that was placed in service in 2020.
The site of the existing Lockhart Hydro Project was originally developed by the state of South Carolina as a canal lock system in the 1820’s.
In 1893-94, the original canal was enlarged, and a dam was built to supply the newly constructed Lockhart Textile Mill with water for its hydromechanical water wheels. The current Lockhart Power hydroelectric facility was developed for the purpose of supplying electricity to the textile mill and later to the surrounding communities.
In 1918, modifications on the 1.5-mile power canal and construction of the current powerhouse began, both of which were completed in 1920. The powerhouse contains five vertical-shaft Francis turbines that were rehabilitated in the late 1980’s.