WHEELER DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 404 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Lawrence County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1936
- EIA plant ID
- 49
- Generators
- 11
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,194 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 34%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.7985, -87.3815
WHEELER DAM, a 404 MW Hydro power plant in Lawrence County, Alabama. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1936.
How WHEELER DAM compares
With 404 MW of capacity, WHEELER DAM ranks 20th among the 64 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Alabama and 2nd of the 23 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 12% of Alabama's operating Hydro capacity and 1.3% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 55th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1936, it is older than 84% of the 64 operating Alabama plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, runs 7 operating plants in Alabama totaling 6,524 MW.
EIA-860 lists 11 generators at the site with 404 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 1,194 GWh in 2024 (a 34% capacity factor), down 13% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1936 and 1963.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BROWNS FERRY (500 kV), about 16.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 5 operating power plants totaling 5,965 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BROWNS FERRY (3,494 MW, Nuclear).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
WHEELER DAM is a 404 MW hydro power plant in Lawrence County, AL, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1936. Lawrence County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.9 of 5 at the 23rd national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 87th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a hydro plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Lawrence County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.7 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | 62.4 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.78 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 55th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.81 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 8.5 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | 4.5 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 14th | 1.6 of 5 | 4.4 |
Perils not assessed in Lawrence County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Lawrence County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.