Approval of the permit had been recommended by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC)
The refusal of the permit effectively blocks Duke’s relicensing application for the facilities to the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Duke’s hydro power complex consists of 11 dams and 13 plants on the Catawba river across North Carolina and South Carolina, and five of the dams are located in the latter state.
The operating licence for the facilities expired last year. FERC has granted the company a temporary operating licence for the facilities.
