NICKAJACK
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 104 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Marion County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1968
- EIA plant ID
- 3409
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 491 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 54%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 35.0026, -85.6205
NICKAJACK, a 104 MW Hydro power plant in Marion County, Tennessee. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1968.
How NICKAJACK compares
With 104 MW of capacity, NICKAJACK ranks 23rd among the 53 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Tennessee and 12th of the 29 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 2.5% of Tennessee's operating Hydro capacity and 0.5% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 171st-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1968, it is newer than 50% 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 104 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 491 GWh in 2024 (a 54% capacity factor), down 6% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is NICKAJACK DAM, 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 3 operating power plants totaling 1,874 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is RACCOON MOUNTAIN (1,714 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
NICKAJACK is a 104 MW hydro power plant in Marion County, TN, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1968. Marion County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.2 of 5 at the 30th national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 88th 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.
Marion County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 88th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.82 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87th | 4.5 of 5 | 0.39 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80th | 4.2 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 75th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.2 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 5.2 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 61st | 3.4 of 5 | 61.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 57th | 3.3 of 5 | 0.76 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | 0.01 |
| Hail | Very Low | 33rd | 2.3 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 17th | 1.7 of 5 | 1.6 |
Perils not assessed in Marion 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 Marion 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.