Raccoon Mountain

OperatingHydro

Ranked #1 of 29 Hydro plants in TN#8 of 1454 nationally

1713.6 MW Hydro operating in Hamilton, TN — Tennessee Valley Authority

EIAGEMWD

1,713.6 MW

Nameplate Capacity

Generators

units

Hydroelectric Pumped Storage

Technology

1978

Operating Since

Location

Coordinates

35.0565, -85.4065

County

Hamilton, TN

Nearby Plants

Chickamauga
Hydro159.6 MW · 16.9 km
Airport 1 Solar (DIA)
Solar1.5 MW · 18.4 km
Nickajack
Hydro103.9 MW · 20.5 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

Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is a pumped-storage hydroelectric underground power station in Marion County, just west of Chattanooga in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the plant can generate a maximum of 1,652 megawatts of electricity. The reservoir at the top of the mountain covers 528 acres (214 ha), with a dam that is 230 feet (70 m) high and 5,800 feet (1,800 m) long, the largest rock-fill dam ever built by TVA. With a hydraulic head of roughly 1000 feet high, the dam can apply a maximum force of approximately 450 pounds per square inch of water pressure to the Turbine. The plant serves as an important element for peak power generation and grid balancing in the TVA system.

Read more on Wikipedia

Raccoon Mountain is a 1,713.6 MW hydroelectric pumped storage plant located in Hamilton County, Tennessee. It began operating in 1978 and is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The plant utilizes water as its primary fuel source and consists of four generators. Raccoon Mountain is the largest of 13 hydroelectric plants in Tennessee, and ranks as the 8th largest of 194 pumped storage plants nationally.

The plant operates within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority area and the SERC NERC region. Raccoon Mountain is a significant asset for TVA, providing grid support and energy storage capabilities.

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

−26.9K MWh

Net Charging

-537.5K MWh

Annual Net Energy

-3.6%

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