RICHARD B RUSSELL
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 628 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Elbert County
- Operator
- USCE-SAVANNAH DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1985
- EIA plant ID
- 6132
- Generators
- 8
- Technology
- Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
- Net generation (2024)
- 351 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 6.4%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 34.0252, -82.5949
RICHARD B RUSSELL, a 628 MW Hydro power plant in Elbert County, Georgia. Operated by USCE-SAVANNAH DISTRICT, commissioned 1985.
How RICHARD B RUSSELL compares
With 628 MW of capacity, RICHARD B RUSSELL ranks 19th among the 104 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Georgia and 2nd of the 29 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 18% of Georgia's operating Hydro capacity and 1.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 35th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1985, it is older than 54% of the 101 operating Georgia plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-SAVANNAH DISTRICT, runs 2 operating plants in Georgia totaling 1,048 MW.
EIA-860 lists 8 generators at the site with 628 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly hydroelectric pumped storage technology. Net generation was 351 GWh in 2024 (a 6.4% capacity factor), up 14% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1985 and 2002.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 230 kV line owned by GEORGIA POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 2 operating power plants totaling 1,106 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is JOHN S RAINEY (1,102 MW, Natural Gas).
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
RICHARD B RUSSELL is a 628 MW hydro power plant in Elbert County, GA, operated by USCE-SAVANNAH DISTRICT, commissioned in 1985. Elbert County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.4 of 5 at the 35th national percentile. Lightning 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.
Elbert County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 54.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | 1.4 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 73rd | 3.9 of 5 | 0.05 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45th | 2.8 of 5 | 4.1 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 2.7 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.23 |
| Winter weather | Very Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 2.7 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 21st | 1.8 of 5 | 3.2 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.79 |
Perils not assessed in Elbert 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 Elbert 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.