1st largest plant in Tennessee · 25th nationally
Cumberland (Tn) is a coal power plant in Tennessee with a nameplate capacity of 2,600 MW. It generates roughly 8.6M MWh per year — enough to power about 820,906 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 38% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 2395 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (2,600 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Cumberland (Tn) |
|---|---|
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| City | Cumberland City |
| County | Stewart County |
| State | Tennessee |
| ZIP | 37050 |
| Coordinates | 36.39030, -87.65390 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 1,300 MW | Operating | 1973 |
| 2 | Conventional Steam Coal | Bituminous Coal | 1,300 MW | Operating | 1973 |
| CTG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 455 MW | Under Construction | — |
| CTG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 455 MW | Planned | — |
| STG1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 323 MW | Under Construction | — |
| STG2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | Natural Gas | 323 MW | Planned | — |
| CO₂ | 10.3M metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 4.1k metric tons |
| NOₓ | 3.5k metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 2395 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.