Nickajack — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3409
- Capacity
- 103.9 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Marion, TN
- Operating Since
- 1968
- Generators
- 4
- Operator
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Parent Company
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Annual Generation
- 491,171 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 53.7%
- Balancing Authority
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- SERC
Nickajack
OperatingHydro
Ranked #12 of 29 Hydro plants in TN#180 of 1454 nationally
103.9 MW Hydro operating in Marion, TN — Tennessee Valley Authority
EIAGEMWD
103.9 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1968
Operating Since
Location
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
Nickajack Dam is a hydroelectric dam in Marion County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of nine dams on the Tennessee River owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the mid-1960s to replace the outdated Hales Bar Dam 6 miles (9.7 km) upstream. The dam impounds the 10,370-acre (4,200 ha) Nickajack Lake and feeds into Guntersville Lake. Nickajack Dam is named for a Cherokee village once located just upstream from the dam. The village was the namesake for Nickajack Cave, which was partially flooded by the reservoir.
Read more on WikipediaThe Nickajack Hydroelectric Plant, located in Marion County, Tennessee, has a total capacity of 103.9 MW. The plant began operating in 1968 and utilizes conventional hydroelectric technology with water (WAT) as its primary fuel source. It consists of four generators and is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The plant operates within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority area and the SERC NERC region.
In the most recent year with available data, Nickajack generated 491,171 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 53.7%. According to available rankings, the plant is the 12th largest of 13 hydroelectric plants in Tennessee and ranks 180th out of 194 hydroelectric plants nationally.
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
54.9K MWh
Latest Month
491.2K MWh
Annual Generation
53.7%
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
General
Huge largemouth bass from Nickajack Lake, potential new Tennessee state record
There is a likely new Tennessee state record largemouth bass under review right now. Sequatchie County angler Darren Nunley caught the...
WTVC·3 weeks ago
General
Local History: With completion of Hale’s Bar Dam, Tennessee River becomes a placid lake
By January 1913, excitement grew to new highs over the completion of the Hale's Bar Dam and its impact on Chattanooga, which was gaining...
Chattanooga Times Free Press·4 weeks ago
Industry·corporate
Local History: With completion of Hale’s Bar Dam, Tennessee River becomes a placid lake
By January 1913, excitement grew to new highs over the completion of the Hale's Bar Dam and its impact on Chattanooga, which was gaining...
Chattanooga Times Free Press·4 weeks ago
General
5 takeaways on TVA’s future under Trump from Senate hearing
President Donald Trump's nominees to the Tennessee Valley Authority board committed to keeping the utility public in a Senate hearing but...
Chattanooga Times Free Press·5 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-26
View all 10 articles