How big is Safe Harbor?

Safe Harbor has a reported capacity of 417.5 MW. Source: EIA Form 860.

What kind of plant is Safe Harbor?

Safe Harbor is a Conventional Hydroelectric facility in Lancaster County, PA, participating in the PJM market.

Where is Safe Harbor located?

Safe Harbor is in Lancaster County, PA, inside the PJM balancing area.

Who operates Safe Harbor?

Safe Harbor is operated by Safe Harbor according to the EIA generator inventory. Reporting membership does not by itself establish ultimate ownership.

When did Safe Harbor start operating?

Safe Harbor reports a commercial operation date of 1931. Current status: operating. Source: EIA Form 860.

How much electricity does Safe Harbor generate?

Safe Harbor reported 1,020.2 GWh over the twelve months to 2024-12. Figures are net generation as filed to EIA-923.

Where does Safe Harbor connect to the grid?

Safe Harbor interconnects at Manor Substation, on the PPL Electric Utilities Corp. system.

How does Safe Harbor compare to other plants?

By capacity, Safe Harbor ranks #34 of 1,349 operating plants of the same technology nationally. It ranks #1 of 17 in PA.

Safe Harbor — 418 MW hydro plant, Lancaster County, PA

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Safe Harbor — 418 MW hydro plant, Lancaster County, PA · Ask the Grid

Overview

Reported capacity: 417.5 MW
EIA-reported operating capacity; nameplate, seasonal, AC/DC, and unit ratings may differ.
Technology: Conventional Hydroelectric
Primary generation technology.
Registry anchor: Plant 3175
Safe Harbor · Lancaster County · PJM
Operating status: Operating
Safe Harbor is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for April 22, 2030.
Grid connection: Manor Substation
230 kV · PPL Electric Utilities Corp.
Commercial operation: 1931
Best-supported operating milestone.

Profile

Operating status: Safe Harbor is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for April 22, 2030.
Grid role: Hydroelectric peaking facility used primarily to meet peak electricity demand.
Grid connection: Manor Substation · 230 kV · PPL Electric Utilities Corp.
Context: Safe Harbor is identified by ANDRITZ as the first hydropower project on the Susquehanna River in the United States. Its output is used primarily to serve peak electricity demand and operate the area's railroad system.
Physical build: Safe Harbor consists of a 4,869-foot-long by 75-foot-high concrete gravity dam, one powerhouse, an impoundment (Lake Clarke), tailrace, and fish lift. The powerhouse contains 14 generating units. ANDRITZ HYDRO refurbished two generators, units 3 and 7, supplying new stator frames, cores and windings, rotor spiders and rims, packing boxes, refurbished rotor poles and bearings, plus complete unit disassembly, installation, and reassembly.

Structured profile

Reported capacity: 417.5 MW
Conventional Hydroelectric
Commercial operation: 1931
Operating status: operating
Safe Harbor is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for April 22, 2030.
Retirement: April 22, 2030
Safe Harbor is currently operating; a closure or retirement is listed for April 22, 2030.
Interconnection: Manor Substation

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Units and generators

Operating generator records and technology attributes reported through EIA-860.

Generator	Capacity	Technology	Operation	Status
1	33 MW 33 MW summer	Conventional Hydroelectric Water · HY	—	Operating
10	37.5 MW 37.5 MW summer	Conventional Hydroelectric Water · HY	Jun 1985	Operating
11	37.5 MW 37.5 MW summer	Conventional Hydroelectric Water · HY	Apr 1986	Operating
12	37.5 MW 37.5 MW summer	Conventional Hydroelectric Water · HY	Sep 1985	Operating
2	33 MW

Performance

Monthly EIA generation history and recent market-resource behavior where linked telemetry is available.

Peer context

Technology capacity: 417.5 MW; Conventional Hydroelectric
National rank: #34; of 1,349 operating peers
PA rank: #1; of 17 operating peers

Monthly generation

Download CSV

Latest 12 months

1.02 TWh

Reported net generation

Latest report

Dec 2024

EIA-923 monthly filing

2024 capacity factor

27.8%

Using current reported nameplate capacity

Grid and market context

Deterministic links to ERCOT market resources, price records, outage disclosures, queue records, and nearby infrastructure. Candidate joins remain labeled until corroborated.

Nearby substations

HIFLD infrastructure inventory

SAFE HARBOR

IN SERVICE · 230 kV

0.4 km

UNKNOWN124871

Commercial, land, and environmental record

Source-backed project transactions, agreements, land records, permits, and environmental disclosures. Portfolio and adjacent-project facts remain explicitly scoped.

Land and environmental record

Cooling Water Discharge

Jun 1, 2025

NPDES Outfall 002: noncontact cooling water and stormwater to Susquehanna River; design flow 1.181 MGD

Permit PA0032379 identifies Outfall 002 (latitude 39°55'27", longitude 76°23'24", river mile 16.9) as discharging noncontact cooling water and stormwater to Susquehanna River. Receives filter backwash and primary settling-basin sludge from water-treatment plant; no treatment provided other than cooling-water dilution.

AUTHORIZATION TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES

Environmental Permit

Jun 1, 2025

Pennsylvania NPDES Permit PA0032379 for Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Station, 1 Powerhouse Road, Conestoga, Pennsylvania

Final NPDES permit PA0032379 issued May 19, 2025, effective June 1, 2025, expires May 31, 2030. Covers wastewater and stormwater discharges from Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Station.

AUTHORIZATION TO DISCHARGE UNDER THE NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER FACILITIES

Recreational Land

Jul 21, 2020

Safe Harbor maintains 2,330 acres available for recreational activities

Lancaster County historic-preservation source reports that Safe Harbor maintains 2,330 acres for recreation. This does not establish total FERC project boundary or privately owned acreage.

Conestoga Township: Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant – Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County

Related parties and identifiers

Parties, market resources, and identifiers tied to this asset, with owner, operator, developer, EPC, compliance provider, and interconnecting entity roles kept separate.

Relationship graph

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AssetOwner / operatorEquipment

Timeline and sources

Project milestones and public references behind the asset profile.

Project timeline

1930
1930
Original ConstructionSource
The Safe Harbor Project was constructed in 1930.
1931
1931
Commercial Operation

Safe Harbor