Watts Bar Hydro — United States of America
Hydro power plant in Tennessee, United States of America. Approximate location 35.6197, -84.7855.
HydroTennesseeUnited States of America
Watts Bar Hydro is a 174.6 MW hydro power station in Tennessee, United States of America. It is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. Based on reported annual generation of 1,133 GWh, it can supply roughly 324k homes. It ranks #2109 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1942, it is around 84 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 5.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0003420.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000603958; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 174.6 MW, Watts Bar Hydro is well above the median hydro plant in United States of America (8 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 74%, from 1,133 GWh of reported generation; the median for 1342 hydro plants in United States of America that report generation is 42%
- Generation trend
- 1,225 GWh in 2013 and 1,133 GWh in 2019 (−8%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2013: 1,225 GWh; 2016: 706 GWh
- Share of United States of America hydro capacity
- 0.2% of 102,513 MW across 1,449 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 483 of 1,444 dated hydro plants in United States of America are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 35.6°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 19% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 43/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #105 largest hydro power plant of 1449 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 1449 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 102,513 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Watts Bar Fossil Plant · Coal · 240 MW · Tennessee
- Watts Bar Nuclear Plant · Nuclear · 2,428 MW · Tennessee
- Bowater Newsprint Calhoun Operation · Biomass · 63.2 MW · Tennessee
- Kingston Fossil Plant · Coal · 1,700 MW · Tennessee
- Kingston · Coal · 1,700 MW · Tennessee
- Primient Loudon Plant · Gas · 61.4 MW · Tennessee
Location
Coordinates 35.6197, -84.7855 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Watts Bar Hydro?
Watts Bar Hydro is a 174.6 MW hydro power plant in Tennessee, United States of America, commissioned in 1942.
How much electricity does Watts Bar Hydro generate?
Watts Bar Hydro generates about 1,133 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Watts Bar Hydro?
Watts Bar Hydro is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority.