FONTANA DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 255 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Swain County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1945
- EIA plant ID
- 2779
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 879 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 39%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.4517, -83.8046
FONTANA DAM, a 255 MW Hydro power plant in Swain County, North Carolina. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1945.
How FONTANA DAM compares
With 255 MW of capacity, FONTANA DAM ranks 23rd among the 205 operating power plants Bywatts maps in North Carolina and 2nd of the 36 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 13% of North Carolina's operating Hydro capacity and 0.8% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 73rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1945, it is older than 88% of the 183 operating North Carolina plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, runs 3 operating plants in North Carolina totaling 434 MW.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 255 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 879 GWh in 2024 (a 39% capacity factor), down 10% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1945 and 1954.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CHILHOWEE, about 18.4 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, about 0.1 miles away. Another 6 operating power plants totaling 409 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CALDERWOOD (157 MW, Hydro). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, Peace Communications KNX1 in Knoxville, about 36.1 miles away.
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records, EIA-860/923 survey data and PeeringDB data center locations; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
FONTANA DAM is a 255 MW hydro power plant in Swain County, NC, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1945. Swain County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.0 of 5 at the 26th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 93rd 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.
Swain County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 56.3 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 92nd | 4.7 of 5 | 0.89 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 0.32 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.19 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 40th | 2.6 of 5 | 3.7 |
| Hail | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 3.6 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 22.3 |
Perils not assessed in Swain 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 |
| Heat wave | FEMA rating is "No Rating" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Swain 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.