BARKLEY
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 130 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Lyon County
- Operator
- USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1966
- EIA plant ID
- 1371
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 591 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 52%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 37.0214, -88.2215
BARKLEY, a 130 MW Hydro power plant in Lyon County, Kentucky. Operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned 1966.
How BARKLEY compares
With 130 MW of capacity, BARKLEY ranks 20th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kentucky and 3rd of the 6 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 16% of Kentucky's operating Hydro capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 141st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1966, it is older than 73% of the 30 operating Kentucky plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, runs 3 operating plants in Kentucky totaling 470 MW.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 130 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 591 GWh in 2024 (a 52% capacity factor), down 6% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is BARKLEY (161 kV), about 0.1 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 1,053 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is MARSHALL ENERGY FACILITY (688 MW, Natural Gas).
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
BARKLEY is a 130 MW hydro power plant in Lyon County, KY, operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned in 1966. Lyon County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.7 of 5 at the 68th national percentile. Ice storm is the leading peril, rated Relatively High by FEMA at the 98th 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.
Lyon County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 98th | 4.9 of 5 | 1.6 |
| Strong wind | Relatively High | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 4.3 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 94th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 6.9 |
| Hail | Very Low | 67th | 3.7 of 5 | 2.9 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 44th | 2.8 of 5 | 9.1 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 28th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 55.3 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21st | 1.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Lyon 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 Lyon 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.