John H Kerr — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 3833
- Capacity
- 296.8 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Hydro
- Technology
- Conventional Hydroelectric
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Mecklenburg, VA
- Operating Since
- 1952
- Generators
- 9
- Operator
- USCE-Wilmington District
- Parent Company
- —
- Annual Generation
- 462,894 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 17.7%
- Balancing Authority
- PJM Interconnection, LLC
- ISO/RTO
- PJM
- NERC Region
- SERC
John H Kerr
OperatingHydro
Ranked #3 of 24 Hydro plants in VA#72 of 1454 nationally
296.8 MW Hydro operating in Mecklenburg, VA — PJM Interconnection, LLC
EIAGEMWD
296.8 MW
Nameplate Capacity
9
Generators
units
Conventional Hydroelectric
Technology
1952
Operating Since
Location
Coordinates
36.5994, -78.3005
County
Mecklenburg, VA
Nearby Plants
- Virginia Line Solar, LLCSolar35 MW · 8.5 km
- Bullock Solar, LLCSolar50 MW · 13.3 km
- Hawtree SolarSolar65 MW · 18.6 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-Wilmington District | US Army Corps of Engineers - Wilmington District | — |
| Owner(s) | USCE-Wilmington District | US Army Corps of Engineers - Wilmington District [100%] | — |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
GEM identifies the owner as US Army Corps of Engineers - Wilmington District [100%]
This entity is not yet in the GEM ownership database — chain unavailable.
About
John H. Kerr Dam is concrete gravity-dam located on the Roanoke River in Virginia, creating Kerr Lake. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1947 and 1953 for the purposes of flood control, and hydropower. The dam also serves wildlife resources, forest conservation, and public recreational uses. The John H. Kerr Dam currently produces over 426 GWh of electricity annually and has prevented over $385 million in flood damage since completion. The dam is named after John H. Kerr, a Congressman from North Carolina who was instrumental in authorizing the construction.
Read more on WikipediaThe John H Kerr hydroelectric plant is located in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. The plant has a total capacity of 296.8 MW across 9 generators, using conventional hydroelectric technology and water as its primary fuel source. It began operating in 1952 and is operated by USCE-Wilmington District. The plant is connected to the PJM Interconnection, LLC balancing authority and is within the SERC NERC region.
In the most recent year with available data, the John H Kerr plant generated 462,894 MWh of electricity, achieving a capacity factor of 17.7%. The plant is ranked 3rd out of 3 hydroelectric plants in Virginia and 72nd out of 194 nationally.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
PJM Interconnection, LLC
Grid Voltage
115 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
18.1K MWh
Latest Month
462.9K MWh
Annual Generation
17.7%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2022 – Dec 2024
Financial Data
No financial data available for this plant.
Pricing & Market Data
HIGH confidencePoint of Interconnection
Nearest Substation
Kerr Substation · 115 kV
Substation Distance
< 10 km
Coord Source
OSM spatial
Market Position
ISO/RTO Market
PJM
LMP Node
KERRDP 115KV TX1
Pricing Hub
DOMINION HUB
Node Source
EIA-860 direct report
News & Articles (9)Beta
Regulatory·federal policy
N.C. county applies for more water from lake
A North Carolina county is asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to reallocate water from Kerr Lake to meet its growing demand...
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (regulator)
SoVaNOW·3 days ago
General
Exploring Virginia: Occoneechee State Park
Occoneechee State Park has something for everyone: nature, history, recreation, camping, a splash park, the list goes on and on.
Environment America·1 years ago
General
TownTalk: History of Kerr Lake
It was the flood of 1940 that finally set in motion the creation of the reservoir and dam that we here in North Carolina call Kerr Lake.
WIZS·4 years ago
General
What happened to Shearon Harris Lake’s burgeoning bass population?
Habitat changes have made it harder to catch bass from North Carolina's Shearon Harris Lake. They're tougher to find but they're still...
Carolina Sportsman·5 years ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 9 articles