Hiwassee Dam — Cherokee, NC — Operational Power Plant
Total Capacity
165.6 MW
Summer: 173.7 MW | Winter: 141.3 MW
Technology
Pumped Storage + Hydro
2 generators
First Unit Online
May 1, 1940
Hiwassee Dam is a pumped storage and hydro power plant in Cherokee County, NC with 2 generating units totaling 165.6 MW of nameplate capacity. It is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. Its first unit came online in 1940.
About this plant
Hiwassee Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Hiwassee River in Cherokee County, in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is one of three dams on the river owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the late 1930s to bring flood control and electricity to the region. The dam impounds the Hiwassee Lake of 6,000 acres (2,400 ha), and its tailwaters are part of Apalachia Reservoir. At 307 feet (94 m), Hiwassee Dam is the highest overspill dam east of the Mississippi River and is second only to Grand Coulee dam in the nation. At the time it was completed, it was the highest overspill dam in the world.
Source: Wikipedia
Capacity rank
- #119 in the U.S. by capacity
- #4 in NC by capacity
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Monthly generation history
Source: EIA Form 923
Generators (2)
2 generators
2 operational generators totaling 165.6 MW · online 1940–1956
Plant Information
| Plant ID | 2780 |
| Plant Name | Hiwassee Dam |
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Sector | Electric Utility |
| Balancing Authority | TVA |
| Power Market | |
| County | Cherokee |
| State | North Carolina (all interconnection requests in North Carolina) |
| Status | Operational |
| Generation Type(s) | Pumped Storage, Hydro |
| Total Nameplate Capacity (MW) | 165.6 |
| Total Summer Capacity (MW) | 173.7 |
| Total Winter Capacity (MW) | 141.3 |
| Generating Units | 2 |
| Operational Units | 2 |
| Planned Units | 0 |
U.S. county map showing Cherokee, NC
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