CHEROKEE DAM
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 135 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Jefferson County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1942
- EIA plant ID
- 3397
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 341 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 29%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 36.1674, -83.4981
CHEROKEE DAM, a 135 MW Hydro power plant in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1942.
How CHEROKEE DAM compares
With 135 MW of capacity, CHEROKEE DAM 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 1942, it is older than 79% of the 53 operating Tennessee plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, runs 32 operating plants in Tennessee totaling 19,142 MW.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 135 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 341 GWh in 2024 (a 29% capacity factor), up 2% from 2022. Its generators came online between 1942 and 1953.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is DUMPLIN VALLEY, about 10.1 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. One other operating power plant sits within 25 miles: DOUGLAS DAM (151 MW, Hydro). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, Peace Communications KNX1 in Knoxville, about 27.4 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
CHEROKEE DAM is a 135 MW hydro power plant in Jefferson County, TN, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1942. Jefferson County carries low modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.3 of 5 at the 8th national percentile. Earthquake is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 85th 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.
Jefferson County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | 51.9 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 52nd | 3.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | 0.22 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 0.50 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | 4.6 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 37th | 2.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 35th | 2.4 of 5 | 0.08 |
| Hail | Very Low | 19th | 1.8 of 5 | 3.0 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.53 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | 4.5 |
Perils not assessed in Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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.