Hiwassee Dam

OperatingHydroHybrid

Ranked #4 of 38 Hydro plants in NC#119 of 1454 nationally

165.6 MW Conventional Hydroelectric (71 MW) + Hydroelectric Pumped Storage (95 MW) operating in Cherokee, NC — Tennessee Valley Authority

EIAGEMWD

165.6 MW

Nameplate Capacity

Generators

units

Hybrid (2)

Technology

Conventional Hydroelectric + Hydroelectric Pumped Storage

1940

Operating Since

Location

Coordinates

35.1509, -84.1775

County

Cherokee, NC

Nearby Plants

Apalachia
Hydro93.6 MW · 10.9 km
Murphy Farm Power, LLC
Solar0.9 MW · 17.0 km
CS Murphy Point, LLC
Solar0.9 MW · 18.0 km

Ownership & Operator

Field	EIA	GEM	Wikidata
Operator	Tennessee Valley Authority	Tennessee Valley Authority	—
Owner(s)	Tennessee Valley Authority	Tennessee Valley Authority	—
Status	Operating	operating	—

Ownership Chain

About

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.

Read more on Wikipedia

Hiwassee Dam is a 165.6 MW hydroelectric power plant located in Cherokee County, North Carolina. The plant, which began operating in 1940, is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It utilizes conventional hydroelectric and pumped storage technologies. The plant has two generators and uses water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. Hiwassee Dam is within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority and the SERC NERC region.

In the most recent year with available data, Hiwassee Dam generated 257,407 MWh of electricity, resulting in a capacity factor of 17.8%. Hiwassee Dam is the fourth-largest of eight hydroelectric plants in North Carolina, and ranks 119th out of 194 hydroelectric plants nationally.

Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources

Wikipedia EIA Plant Profile Wikidata Global Energy Monitor

Engineering & Generators

Grid Context

NERC Region

SERC

Balancing Authority

Tennessee Valley Authority

Grid Voltage

161 kV

Regulatory Status

Entity Type

Federal

Sector

Electric Utility

Generation

13.0K MWh

Net Discharge

257.4K MWh

Annual Net Energy

17.8%

Capacity Factor

Jan 2023 – Dec 2025

Positive values indicate net discharge (generation exceeds station load). Negative values indicate net charging. Pure battery storage plants are typically net negative due to round-trip efficiency losses.

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

Hazards·other

75-year-old North Carolina woman dies after dog attack, sheriff’s office says

A 75-year-old North Carolina woman died Wednesday evening in the Hiwassee Dam community as the result of a dog attack, according to the...

WTVC·2 weeks ago

Hazards·wildfire

UPDATE: Andrews, NC chicken plant fire alarms nearby residents

A massive blaze at the Andrews Valley Poultry farm in Cherokee County causes extensive damage, requiring multiple agencies to battle the...

Local 3 News·2 months ago

Hazards·wildfire

The Nantahala National Forest will conduct prescribed fire operations on 74 acres today, November 18, at 11 a.m. in Murphy, North Carolina, near the area of Hiwassee Dam Access Road and Prospect Road. This work will continue throughout the day as weat

Facebook·4 months ago