The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed easement by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Project No. 2503-192) on Lake Keowee. The easement would allow Pickens Regional Joint Water System to construct, operate, and maintain a raw water intake facility with a maximum instantaneous withdrawal rate of 16.5 million gallons per day and an average annual rate of 12 MGD. The project sits on the Toxaway, Keowee, and Little Rivers in Transylvania County, North Carolina, and Oconee and Pickens counties, South Carolina. FERC staff plans to issue the EA by December 15, 2025, followed by a 30-day public comment period.12