Cherokee Dam — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3397
- Capacity
- 135 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Jefferson, TN
- Operating Since
- 1942
- Generators
- 4
- Operator
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Parent Company
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Annual Generation
- 341,397 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 28.8%
- Balancing Authority
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- SERC
Cherokee Dam
OperatingHydro
Ranked #9 of 29 Hydro plants in TN#143 of 1454 nationally
135 MW Hydro operating in Jefferson, TN — Tennessee Valley Authority
EIAGEMWD
135 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1942
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
36.1682, -83.4977
County
Jefferson, TN
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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
Cherokee Dam is a hydroelectric dam located on the Holston River in Grainger County and Jefferson County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The dam is operated and maintained by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to help meet urgent demands for energy at the outbreak of World War II. Cherokee Dam is 175 feet (53 m) high and impounds the 28,780-acre (11,650 ha) Cherokee Lake. It has a generating capacity of 136 megawatts. The dam was named for the Cherokee, a Native American tribe that controlled much of East Tennessee when the first European settlers arrived in the mid-18th century.
Read more on WikipediaCherokee Dam is a hydroelectric power plant located in Jefferson County, Tennessee. The plant is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Commissioned in 1942, Cherokee Dam has a total installed capacity of 135 MW, distributed across four generators. The plant utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology, drawing power from the flow of water (WAT).
Cherokee Dam operates within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority area and the SERC NERC region. In terms of size, it ranks as the 9th largest hydroelectric plant out of 13 in Tennessee, and 141st out of 194 nationally. The plant's latest annual generation was 341,397 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 28.8%.
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
32.1K MWh
Latest Month
341.4K MWh
Annual Generation
28.8%
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 (9)Beta
Industry·other
A Decade in Knoxville: 1940-1949. See our photos
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gov. Prentice Cooper and Eleanor Roosevelt drive down Gay Street en route to the dedication ceremony for...
Franklin D. Roosevelt (other)Prentice Cooper (other)
Knoxville News Sentinel·1 years ago
Industry·other
How These 3 Towns in Tennessee Became Sunken Underwater Ghost Towns
I appreciate the way the TVA prevents the majority of dangerous floods and the hydoelectric power. But I also think about the homesteads,...
TVA (operator)
TheSmokies·1 years ago
Hazards·hurricane
Extent of Helene devastation in northeast Tennessee comes into clearer focus
Gov. Bill Lee and members of the state's Congressional delegation toured East Tennessee areas damage by Hurricane Helene.
Bill Lee (other)Hurricane Helene (other)
Tennessee Lookout·1 years ago
Industry·technology
ORNL to 3D print large-scale hydropower turbine components in a new DOE-funded project
The US Department of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is leading a new initiative to 3D print large metal runners used in dams for...
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (developer)US Department of Energy (regulator)
3D Printing Industry·1 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
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