HAWKS NEST HYDRO
OperatingHydro power plant
- Capacity
- 102 MW
- Primary fuel
- Hydro
- County
- Fayette County
- Operator
- HAWKS NEST HYDRO LLC
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1936
- EIA plant ID
- 50011
- Generators
- 4
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Net generation (2024)
- 434 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 48%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 38.1478, -81.1757
HAWKS NEST HYDRO, a 102 MW Hydro power plant in Fayette County, West Virginia. Operated by HAWKS NEST HYDRO LLC, commissioned 1936.
How HAWKS NEST HYDRO compares
With 102 MW of capacity, HAWKS NEST HYDRO ranks 15th among the 31 operating power plants Bywatts maps in West Virginia and is the largest of the 10 operating Hydro plants in the state. It accounts for about 32% of West Virginia's operating Hydro capacity and 0.7% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 176th-largest of the 1,243 operating Hydro plants in the database. Commissioned in 1936, it is older than 77% of the 31 operating West Virginia plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, HAWKS NEST HYDRO LLC, runs 2 operating plants in West Virginia totaling 108 MW. It shares Fayette County with one other operating plant, GLEN FERRIS HYDRO.
EIA-860 lists 4 generators at the site with 102 MW of nameplate capacity, all conventional hydroelectric technology. Net generation was 434 GWh in 2024 (a 48% capacity factor), down 15% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line owned by APPALACHIAN POWER CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 4 operating power plants totaling 115 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is GAULEY RIVER POWER PARTNERS (80 MW, Hydro).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
HAWKS NEST HYDRO is a 102 MW hydro power plant in Fayette County, WV, operated by HAWKS NEST HYDRO LLC, commissioned in 1936. Fayette County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 1.8 of 5 at the 21st national percentile. Riverine flooding is the leading peril, rated Relatively Low by FEMA at the 93rd 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.
Fayette County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 93rd | 4.7 of 5 | 1.5 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 15.0 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 68th | 3.7 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51st | 3.0 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 1.0 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.26 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | 46.7 |
| Hail | Very Low | 34th | 2.4 of 5 | 2.6 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 11th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.18 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10th | 1.4 of 5 | 0.04 |
Perils not assessed in Fayette 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 Fayette 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.