Barkley — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 1371
- Capacity
- 130 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Lyon, KY
- Operating Since
- 1966
- Generators
- 4
- Operator
- USCE-Nashville District
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 590,644 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 51.7%
- Balancing Authority
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- SERC
Barkley
OperatingHydro
Ranked #3 of 14 Hydro plants in KY#150 of 1454 nationally
130 MW Hydro operating in Lyon, KY — Tennessee Valley Authority
EIAGEMWD
130 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1966
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
37.0217, -88.2211
County
Lyon, KY
Nearby Plants
- Kentucky DamHydro218.6 MW · 4.4 km
- Calvert CityNatural Gas26.7 MW · 12.1 km
- Ashwood Solar ISolar86 MW · 12.5 km
Ownership & Operator
Owner data does not fully agree across sources.
EIA typically reports the operating utility, while GEM resolves to the financial owner or parent corporation. Both can be correct.
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | USCE-Nashville District | US Army Corps of Engineers - Nashville District | — |
| Owner(s) | USCE-Nashville District | US Army Corps of Engineers - Nashville District [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as US Army Corps of Engineers - Nashville District [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
Barkley Dam is a dam along the Cumberland River in Kentucky. Its construction along with Kentucky Dam formed the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBLNRA) by stopping the flow of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, forming Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake respectively. It is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Read more on WikipediaThe Barkley hydroelectric plant, located in Lyon County, Kentucky, has a total capacity of 130 MW across four generators. It began operating in 1966 and is owned and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USCE) Nashville District. The plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology and its primary fuel source is water (WAT). Barkley is the third-largest of five hydroelectric plants in Kentucky, and ranks 150th out of 194 nationally.
In the most recent year with available data, Barkley generated 590,644 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 51.7%. The plant operates within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) balancing authority and is located in the SERC NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
Grid Voltage
161 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
63.8K MWh
Latest Month
590.6K MWh
Annual Generation
51.7%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
This plant is outside organized wholesale electricity markets (ISOs/RTOs). Nodal pricing data is not available.
News & Articles (10)Beta
Industry·corporate
Nashville District employees receive Star of Life Awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 6, 2026) – In a ceremony marked by gratitude and somber reflection, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville...
Nashville District (other)U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville (other)
Army.mil·3 weeks ago
General
Hopkinsville hosts TVA Board as they vote to continue coal operations at Cumberland, Kingston plants
The James E. Bruce Convention Center played host to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors Tuesday and Wednesday,...
whopam.com·4 weeks ago
Regulatory·state puc
Ky PSC sets 6 public information gathering meetings on nuclear generation
To gather state residents' sentiment about allow nuclear power operations in the commonwealth, the Kentucky Public Service Commission has...
Kentucky Public Service Commission (regulator)
Lane Report·4 weeks ago
Industry·corporate
Hopkinsville hosts TVA Board as they vote to continue coal operations at Cumberland, Kingston plants
The James E. Bruce Convention Center played host to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors Tuesday and Wednesday,...
Hopkinsville (other)Tennessee Valley Authority (operator)
whopam.com·4 weeks ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles