WILSON DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 667 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Lauderdale County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1925
- EIA plant ID
- 6440
- Generators
- 21
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 2,353 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 40%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.7960, -87.6249
WILSON DAM, a 667 MW Hydro power plant in Lauderdale County, Alabama. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1925.
How WILSON DAM compares
With 667 MW of capacity, WILSON DAM ranks 17th among the 64 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Alabama and is the largest of the 23 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 20% of Alabama's operating Hydro capacity and 2.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 33rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1925, it is older than 95% 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 21 generators at the site with 667 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 2,353 GWh in 2024 (a 40% capacity factor), down 7% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1925 and 1962.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CHEROKEE (161 kV), about 13.3 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 2,230 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is COLBERT (1,826 MW, Coal).
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
WILSON DAM is a 667 MW hydro power plant in Lauderdale County, AL, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1925. Lauderdale County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.8 of 5 at the 21st national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 89th 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.
Lauderdale County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 89th | 4.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.1 |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 0.65 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Moderate | 71st | 3.9 of 5 | 3.4 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Moderate | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 8.9 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.93 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 61.6 |
| Hail | Very Low | 24th | 2.0 of 5 | 4.1 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21st | 1.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 16th | 1.7 of 5 | 4.4 |
Perils not assessed in Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale 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.