BULL SHOALS
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 340 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Marion County
- Operator
- USCE-LITTLE ROCK DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1952
- EIA plant ID
- 198
- Generators
- 8
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 647 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 22%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.3648, -92.5753
BULL SHOALS, a 340 MW Hydro power plant in Marion County, Arkansas. Operated by USCE-LITTLE ROCK DISTRICT, commissioned 1952.
How BULL SHOALS compares
With 340 MW of capacity, BULL SHOALS ranks 14th among the 48 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Arkansas and is the largest of the 19 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 25% of Arkansas's operating Hydro capacity and 2.1% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 61st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1952, it is older than 87% of the 48 operating Arkansas plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-LITTLE ROCK DISTRICT, runs 6 operating plants in Arkansas totaling 889 MW.
EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 340 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 647 GWh in 2024 (a 22% capacity factor), down 39% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1952 and 1963.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by ENTERGY ARKANSAS INC, under 0.1 miles away. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: NORFORK (80 MW, Hydro).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
BULL SHOALS is a 340 MW hydro power plant in Marion County, AR, operated by USCE-LITTLE ROCK DISTRICT, commissioned in 1952. Marion County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.4 of 5 at the 60th national percentile. Ice storm is the leading peril, rated Very High by FEMA at the 100th 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.
Marion County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | Very High | 100th | 5.0 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 84th | 4.3 of 5 | 8.6 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 82nd | 4.3 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 57.9 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 0.40 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 59th | 3.3 of 5 | 8.3 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 36th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | 5.5 |
Perils not assessed in Marion 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 Marion 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.