Watts Bar Nuclear Plant — Plant Summary
- EIA Plant ID
- 7722
- Capacity
- 2539.8 MW
- Primary Fuel
- Nuclear
- Technology
- Nuclear
- Status
- Operating
- Location
- Rhea, TN
- Operating Since
- 1996
- Generators
- 2
- Operator
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Parent Company
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Annual Generation
- 16,273,295 MWh
- Capacity Factor
- 72.9%
- Balancing Authority
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- ISO/RTO
- —
- NERC Region
- SERC
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant
OperatingNuclear
Ranked #1 of 2 Nuclear plants in TN#8 of 57 nationally
2539.8 MW Nuclear operating in Rhea, TN — Tennessee Valley Authority
EIAGEMWD
2,539.8 MW
Nameplate Capacity
2
Generators
units
Nuclear
Technology
1996
Operating Since
Location
Ownership & Operator
| Field | EIA | GEM | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Owner(s) | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Status | Operating | operating | — |
Ownership Chain
About
The Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) nuclear reactor pair used for electric power generation. It is located on a 1,770-acre (7.2 km²) site in Rhea County, Tennessee, near Spring City, between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Watts Bar supplies enough electricity for about 1.2 million households in the Tennessee Valley.
Read more on WikipediaWatts Bar Nuclear Plant is located in Rhea County, Tennessee. The plant is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It has a total capacity of 2,539.8 MW derived from two nuclear reactors. Watts Bar began operating in 1996 and is the first and only US nuclear plant to begin commercial operation in the 21st century (Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1996, and Unit 2 in 2016).
Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in Tennessee and the seventh-largest in the United States (out of 55 plants). In the latest year of record, the plant generated 16,273,295 MWh of electricity, operating at a capacity factor of 72.9%. The plant operates within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing authority area and the SERC NERC region.
Generated from EIA, GEM, and public data sources
Engineering & Generators
Grid Context
NERC Region
SERC
Balancing Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
Grid Voltage
500 kV
Regulatory Status
RE
Entity Type
Federal
Sector
Electric Utility
Generation
1.8M MWh
Latest Month
16.3M MWh
Annual Generation
72.9%
Capacity Factor
Jan 2023 – Dec 2025
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
Industry·corporate
TVA, US nuclear weapons agency reach record tritium output
The U.S. agency in charge of nuclear weapons achieved a record production of tritium, a radioactive gas that increases the explosive power...
TVA (operator)U.S. agency (regulator)
Chattanooga Times Free Press·4 weeks ago
Industry·other
Sirens? Tested. Calendars? Mailed. TVA’s safety plan starts before crises
Regular safety training, technology and a nature calendar help the largest public utility in the United States keep millions of people safe.
TVA (operator)
Knoxville News Sentinel·3 months ago
Industry·corporate
See a simulation in TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant control room simulator
Operations instructor Robert Rogers shows and explains a simulation at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant control room...
TVA (operator)Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (operator)
Knoxville News Sentinel·3 months ago
Industry·earnings
Tennessee Valley Authority posts record $13.7B revenue as regional energy demand rises
People who have moved to the Sunbelt states in recent years are propelling higher revenue at the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Tennessee Valley Authority (operator)
Knoxville News Sentinel·4 months ago
Last updated 2026-03-14
View all 10 articles