KENTUCKY DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 219 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Marshall County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1944
- EIA plant ID
- 1377
- Generators
- 5
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 1,210 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 63%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 37.0136, -88.2685
KENTUCKY DAM, a 219 MW Hydro power plant in Marshall County, Kentucky. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1944.
How KENTUCKY DAM compares
With 219 MW of capacity, KENTUCKY DAM ranks 18th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Kentucky and 2nd of the 6 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 27% of Kentucky's operating Hydro capacity and 1.0% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 81st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1944, it is older than 86% of the 30 operating Kentucky plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, runs 4 operating plants in Kentucky totaling 5,215 MW. It shares Marshall County with 2 other operating plants, MARSHALL ENERGY FACILITY and CALVERT CITY.
EIA-860 lists 5 generators at the site with 219 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 1,210 GWh in 2024 (a 63% capacity factor), up 11% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1944 and 1948.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is KENTUCKY DAM (161 kV), about 0.1 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 4 operating power plants totaling 965 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
KENTUCKY DAM is a 219 MW hydro power plant in Marshall County, KY, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1944. Marshall County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 4.1 of 5 at the 76th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 95th 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.
Marshall County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively High | 95th | 4.8 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 6.7 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 2.9 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | 0.29 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 9.8 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 2.1 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27th | 2.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 55.5 |
Perils not assessed in Marshall 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 Marshall 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.