Hydroelectric Power Plants in Tennessee
Every operating hydroelectric power plant in Tennessee on EIA-860M for 2026-07: 28 plants, 84 generating units and 3 GW of nameplate capacity across 20 counties.
As of 2026-07 (inventory dated 2026-07-31) · EIA-860M Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory · eia.gov/…/july_generator2026.xlsx · eia.gov/…/eia860m
- Plants
- 28
- 84 generating units
- Nameplate capacity
- 3 GW
- Counties
- 20
- Grid operator
- Mixed
- no single ISO covers a majority
Map of hydroelectric power plants in Tennessee
Every one of the 28 plants is drawn at the coordinate EIA files for it.
Loading map…
- Hydro · 28
List of hydroelectric power plants in Tennessee
Sort by any column. Capacity is nameplate, summed across every generating unit EIA lists at the site.
| Pickwick Landing DamConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hardin | 240 | 6 | 1938 | Operating |
| Watts Bar HydroConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Rhea | 174.6 | 5 | 1942 | Operating |
| ChickamaugaConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hamilton | 159.6 | 4 | 1940 | Operating |
| CalderwoodConventional Hydroelectric | Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP | Blount | 156.6 | 3 | 1930 | Operating |
| Center HillConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | DeKalb | 156 | 3 | 1950 | Operating |
| Fort LoudounConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Loudon | 153.3 | 4 | 1943 | Operating |
| Douglas DamConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Sevier | 150.8 | 4 | 1943 | Operating |
| Cherokee DamConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Jefferson | 135 | 4 | 1942 | Operating |
| Norris DamConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Anderson | 131.4 | 2 | 1936 | Operating |
| Boone DamConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Sullivan | 105.9 | 3 | 1953 | Operating |
| NickajackConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Marion | 103.9 | 4 | 1968 | Operating |
| Old HickoryConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | Sumner | 103.7 | 4 | 1957 | Operating |
| Cordell HullConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | Smith | 99.9 | 3 | 1973 | Operating |
| ApalachiaConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Polk | 93.6 | 2 | 1943 | Operating |
| Melton HillConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Loudon | 72 | 2 | 1964 | Operating |
| Fort Patrick HenryConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Sullivan | 59.4 | 2 | 1953 | Operating |
| WataugaConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Carter | 57.6 | 2 | 1949 | Operating |
| Dale HollowConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | Clay | 54 | 3 | 1948 | Operating |
| ChilhoweeConventional Hydroelectric | Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP | Blount | 49.8 | 3 | 1957 | Operating |
| Tims FordConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Franklin | 45.7 | 2 | 1972 | Operating |
| South HolstonConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Sullivan | 38.5 | 1 | 1951 | Operating |
| CheathamConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | Dickson | 36 | 3 | 1958 | Operating |
| Great Falls (TN)Conventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Warren | 33.7 | 2 | 1916 | Operating |
| Ocoee 3Conventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Polk | 28.8 | 1 | 1943 | Operating |
| J P PriestConventional Hydroelectric | USCE-Nashville District | Davidson | 28 | 1 | 1970 | Operating |
| Ocoee 2Conventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Polk | 23 | 2 | 1913 | Operating |
| Ocoee 1Conventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Polk | 19 | 5 | 1912 | Operating |
| WilburConventional Hydroelectric | Tennessee Valley Authority | Carter | 10.6 | 4 | 1912 | Operating |
Largest hydroelectric power plants in Tennessee
- 1Pickwick Landing DamHardin County, Tennessee240 MW
- 2Watts Bar HydroRhea County, Tennessee174.6 MW
- 3ChickamaugaHamilton County, Tennessee159.6 MW
- 4CalderwoodBlount County, Tennessee156.6 MW
- 5Center HillDeKalb County, Tennessee156 MW
- 6Fort LoudounLoudon County, Tennessee153.3 MW
- 7Douglas DamSevier County, Tennessee150.8 MW
- 8Cherokee DamJefferson County, Tennessee135 MW
- 9Norris DamAnderson County, Tennessee131.4 MW
- 10Boone DamSullivan County, Tennessee105.9 MW
Hydroelectric power plants by county in Tennessee
The county EIA files against each plant. It is the fastest way to find the plant nearest a given town.
| County | Plants | Nameplate MW |
|---|---|---|
| Hardin | 1 | 240 |
| Loudon | 2 | 225.3 |
| Blount | 2 | 206.4 |
| Sullivan | 3 | 203.8 |
| Rhea | 1 | 174.6 |
| Polk | 4 | 164.4 |
| Hamilton | 1 | 159.6 |
| DeKalb | 1 | 156 |
| Sevier | 1 | 150.8 |
| Jefferson | 1 | 135 |
| Anderson | 1 | 131.4 |
| Marion | 1 | 103.9 |
| Sumner | 1 | 103.7 |
| Smith | 1 | 99.9 |
| Carter | 2 | 68.2 |
| Clay | 1 | 54 |
| Franklin | 1 | 45.7 |
| Dickson | 1 | 36 |
| Warren | 1 | 33.7 |
| Davidson | 1 | 28 |
Hydroelectric Power Plants in Tennessee: FAQ
- How many hydroelectric power plants are in Tennessee?
- 28, with 3 GW of nameplate capacity between them, spread over 20 counties. That is the EIA-860M operating count for 2026-07.
- Is there a map of Tennessee hydroelectric power plants?
- Yes — the map above. Each dot is one hydroelectric power plant, sized by nameplate capacity and placed at the coordinates EIA files for it.
- Which is the largest hydroelectric power plant in Tennessee?
- Pickwick Landing Dam, at 240 MW. The table is sorted largest first, so the rest follow it.
- Is there a hydroelectric power plant near me in Tennessee?
- The county roll-up below groups every plant by county, which is the quickest way to find the one closest to a given town.
- Which grid operator runs Tennessee's hydroelectric power plants?
- No single ISO or RTO covers most of them. EIA files each plant against its own balancing authority, which in Tennessee is largely a vertically integrated utility rather than an organised market.
- How current is this, and what is left out?
- EIA-860M for 2026-07. Conventional hydroelectric. Pumped storage is counted separately. Plants below 1 MW are not surveyed by EIA and so are absent; retirements and additions after 2026-07 arrive with the next monthly release.