Hiwassee Dam
Pumped storage and hydro power plant in Cherokee County, North Carolina. 165.6 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority.
Also known as Hiwassee Dam Powerhouse · EIA plant 2780
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 165.6 MWPumped storage 95.0 · Hydro 70.6
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- May 1940First generator online
- Operator
- Tennessee Valley AuthorityEIA operator ID 18642
- Grid
- TVABalancing authority TVA
- Price nodes
- None linkedNo verified ISO node
- Location
- Cherokee County, NC35.1509, −84.1775
- EIA plant ID
- 2780EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Hiwassee Dam produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
257 GWh
257,407 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
Not reported
2024: Not reported
January to July 2026
79.2 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
180.2–473.4
GWh a year. Low 2017, high 2020
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 108,102 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 122,135 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2002 | 205,707 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 319,040 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2004 | 226,013 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 290,278 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 204,595 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 142,334 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 90,034 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 281,683 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 251,222 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 223,321 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 189,530 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 430,987 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 250,965 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 307,722 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 244,627 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 180,166 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 351,812 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 342,215 | Not reported | 11 of 12 |
| 2020 | 473,420 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 382,356 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 309,758 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 258,708 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 240,944 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 257,407 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 79,173 | Not reported | 7 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free accountNo verified ISO price node is linked to this plant, or its price history could not load.
Emissions
Free · EPA CAMPDNo EPA emissions units are linked to this plant.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSNo EIA cooling-water record for this plant in 2024. Plants without steam cooling, such as wind, solar and batteries, do not report cooling water.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | 70.6 | May 1940 |
| 2 | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 95.0 | May 1956 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Tennessee Valley Authority as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
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Power plants near Hiwassee Dam
More plants operated by Tennessee Valley Authority
Questions about Hiwassee Dam
How much power does Hiwassee Dam produce?
Hiwassee Dam reported 257,407 MWh (257 GWh) of net generation in 2025. From January to July 2026 it reported 79.2 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Hiwassee Dam?
Hiwassee Dam is in Cherokee County, North Carolina, at 35.1509, −84.1775. It is in the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing area (TVA).
Who operates Hiwassee Dam?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Tennessee Valley Authority as the operator (EIA operator ID 18642). The operator is not always the owner.
Is Hiwassee Dam a pumped storage or a hydro plant?
Both. Pumped storage capacity totals 95 MW and hydro capacity totals 70.6 MW.
When did Hiwassee Dam start operating?
Its first generator began operating in May 1940, according to EIA-860M.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page