In the late 20th century, the former sites of Old Keowee and New Keowee towns, including the burial ground, was planned for submersion by creation of Lake Keowee in the early 1970s in connection with a Duke Energy project. The Keowee and Little rivers were to be dammed to provide hydropower and cooling water for the Oconee Nuclear Station. These were part of a multi-million-dollar project to provide energy for upstate South Carolina. Oconee was the first of three nuclear power plants built by Duke Power.