74.8 MW Hydro operating in Pulaski, VA — PJM Interconnection, LLC
74.8 MW
Nameplate Capacity
4
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1939
Operating Since
Coordinates
37.0750, -80.5847
County
Pulaski, VA
Nearby Plants
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Appalachian Power Co | Appalachian Power | — |
| Owner(s) | Appalachian Power Co | American Electric Power Company | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
The Claytor Dam is a gravity dam on the New River in Pulaski County, Virginia, United States. It is located about 2.5 mi (4.0 km) south of Radford. It is named after William Graham Claytor, then vice president of Appalachian Power Company (APC), who was instrumental in the dam's construction. APC is now a subsidiary of American Electric Power (AEP), which owns the dam. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports a 75 MW power station. Its reservoir, Claytor Lake, is also used for recreation. The dam was constructed and its power station commissioned in 1939. It received its first license in 1943. It is 1,142 ft (348 m) long and 145 ft (44 m) tall. It stores a reservoir with a capacity of 225,000 acre⋅ft (278,000,000 m3). The reservoir covers 4,472 acres (1,810 ha) and stretches 21.67 mi (34.87 km) behind the dam.
Read more on WikipediaThe Claytor hydroelectric plant is located in Pulaski County, Virginia. The plant, which began operating in 1939, has a total capacity of 74.8 MW across four generators. It is owned by American Electric Power Company and operated by Appalachian Power Co. The primary fuel source is water (WAT), utilizing conventional hydroelectric technology. Claytor ranks as the 4th largest hydroelectric plant in Virginia out of 25, and 237th nationally out of 1464.
In the latest year with available data, the plant generated 220,445 MWh, resulting in a capacity factor of 33.5%. The plant operates within the PJM Interconnection, LLC balancing authority and the RFC NERC region. Financial data indicates an installed cost of $385.7 per kW.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
NERC Region
RFC
Balancing Authority
PJM Interconnection, LLC
Grid Voltage
138 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Investor-Owned Utility
Sector
Electric Utility
18.4K MWh
Latest Month
220.4K MWh
Annual Generation
33.5%
Capacity Factor
$545/kW
Installed Cost
$15.2/MWh
Operating Cost
Appalachian Power Company
Reporting Utility
Cumulative Installed Cost
Per-Unit Cost Trends
Point of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Claytor Substation · 138 kV
Substation Distance
0 km
Operator
Appalachian Power Company
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
PJM
LMP Node
CLAYTOR 11 KV CL1
Pricing Hub
DOMINION HUB
Location Type
Generation Node
Node Source
Curated node match
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Cold weather could result in rapid water level changes downstream of Claytor Dam
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APCo warns about water levels downstream of Claytor and Leesville Dams
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Things that could have been: A lake bigger than Smith Mountain Lake on the New River
In the 1960s and '70s, there was a proposal to dam the New River for a hydroelectric project that would have flooded 10% of Grayson County.
Last updated 2026-03-14
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