HIWASSEE DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 166 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Cherokee County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1940
- EIA plant ID
- 2780
- Generators
- 2
- Technology
- Hydroelectric Pumped Storage
- Net generation (2024)
- 241 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 17%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.1509, -84.1775
HIWASSEE DAM, a 166 MW Hydro power plant in Cherokee County, North Carolina. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1940.
How HIWASSEE DAM compares
With 166 MW of capacity, HIWASSEE DAM ranks 27th among the 205 operating power plants Bywatts maps in North Carolina and 4th of the 36 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 8.6% of North Carolina's operating Hydro capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 108th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1940, it is older than 90% 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. It shares Cherokee County with 8 other operating plants, including CS MURPHY POINT, LLC and MARTINS CREEK SOLAR FARM.
EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 166 MW of nameplate capacity, mainly hydroelectric pumped storage technology. Net generation was 241 GWh in 2024 (a 17% capacity factor), down 22% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1940 and 1956.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is APALACHIA (161 kV), about 14.7 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by DUKE ENERGY CAROLINAS, LLC, under 0.1 miles away. Another 11 operating power plants totaling 315 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CHEOAH (113 MW, Hydro).
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
HIWASSEE DAM is a 166 MW hydro power plant in Cherokee County, NC, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1940. Cherokee County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.3 of 5 at the 33rd national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 90th 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.
Cherokee County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 59.9 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79th | 4.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 0.61 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 69th | 3.7 of 5 | 0.73 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 58th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 3.9 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 26th | 2.0 of 5 | 3.5 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 13th | 1.5 of 5 | 6.8 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | 0.11 |
Perils not assessed in Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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.