WATAUGA

How WATAUGA compares

With 58 MW of capacity, WATAUGA ranks 30th among the 53 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Tennessee and 18th of the 29 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 1.4% of Tennessee's operating Hydro capacity and 0.3% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 263rd-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1949, it is older than 67% 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. It shares Carter County with one other operating plant, WILBUR.

EIA-860 lists 2 generators at the site with 58 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 155 GWh in 2024 (a 31% capacity factor), up 42% from 2022.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is WATAUGA DAM (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 5 operating power plants totaling 499 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is WOLF HILLS ENERGY (285 MW, Natural Gas). Within 50 miles is one mapped data center, 801 Main Street - Lenoir in Lenoir, about 43.1 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