WATTS BAR HYDRO

How WATTS BAR HYDRO compares

With 175 MW of capacity, WATTS BAR HYDRO ranks 14th among the 53 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Tennessee and 3rd of the 29 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 4.1% of Tennessee's operating Hydro capacity and 0.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 102nd-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. It shares Rhea County with one other operating plant, WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT.

EIA-860 lists 5 generators at the site with 175 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 896 GWh in 2024 (a 58% capacity factor), about the same as in 2022. Its generators came online between 1942 and 1944.

Grid neighborhood

The nearest named substation is SPRING CITY, about 6.3 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 2,970 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is KINGSTON (1,700 MW, Coal).

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