33rd largest plant in North Carolina · 1774th nationally
Hiwassee Dam is a hydroelectric power plant in North Carolina with a nameplate capacity of 166 MW. It generates roughly 258.7k MWh per year — enough to power about 24,638 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 18% reflects intermittent or peaking operation.
| Plant Name | Hiwassee Dam |
|---|---|
| Operator | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| City | Murphy |
| County | Cherokee County |
| State | North Carolina |
| ZIP | 28906 |
| Coordinates | 35.15086, -84.17753 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | Water | 95.0 MW | Operating | 1956 |
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | Water | 70.6 MW | Operating | 1940 |
| NERC Region | SERC |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Hydroelectric plants spin turbines using falling or flowing water — typically from a dam-impounded reservoir. They are dispatchable, long-lived, and emission-free at the point of generation, though large reservoirs can disrupt rivers and ecosystems and methane can be released from flooded vegetation.