CENTER HILL
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 135 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- DeKalb County
- Operator
- USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1950
- EIA plant ID
- 6417
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 292 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 24%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.0974, -85.8273
CENTER HILL, a 135 MW Hydro power plant in DeKalb County, Tennessee. Operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned 1950.
How CENTER HILL compares
With 135 MW of capacity, CENTER HILL ranks 19th among the 53 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Tennessee and 8th of the 29 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 3.2% of Tennessee's operating Hydro capacity and 0.7% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 133rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1950, it is older than 66% of the 53 operating Tennessee plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, runs 6 operating plants in Tennessee totaling 457 MW.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 140 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 292 GWh in 2024 (a 24% capacity factor), down 31% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1950 and 1951.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is CENTER HILL (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 2 operating power plants totaling 134 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is CORDELL HULL (100 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
CENTER HILL is a 135 MW hydro power plant in DeKalb County, TN, operated by USCE-NASHVILLE DISTRICT, commissioned in 1950. DeKalb County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.6 of 5 at the 66th 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.
DeKalb County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 59.3 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83rd | 4.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 79th | 4.1 of 5 | 6.0 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 77th | 4.1 of 5 | 5.9 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 71st | 3.8 of 5 | 3.3 |
| Riverine flooding | Very Low | 66th | 3.6 of 5 | 0.71 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.24 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.03 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 0.68 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 34th | 2.3 of 5 | 2.6 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in DeKalb 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 DeKalb 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.