The U.S. state of Tennessee receives its power from a variety of sources. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is the primary utility in Tennessee which generates electricity and sells it to hundreds of local utilities and industrial customers. Like most of the US, the sources used to generate power in Tennessee have changed substantially in the last decade. Coal's share of power has declined from nearly 60% in 2008 to about 25% in 2018, while natural gas has increased significantly. Tennessee is home to two of the newest nuclear reactors in the US at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, unit 2 being the first to begin operation in the 21st century. After Watts Bar Unit 2 began operation in late 2016, nuclear power passed coal as the top source of electricity. In November 2018 natural gas produced more power than coal for the first time in Tennessee. Tennessee is home to the third largest pumped-storage hydroelectric facility in the US, and has the third highest net generation of hydroelectric power of states east of the Mississippi River, and eighth highest nationwide. In 2018, about 57% of the power consumed in Tennessee was generated with emissions free sources. Tennessee is a net consumer of electricity, consuming more power than it generates and receiving power from TVA facilities in neighboring states.

Biomass

Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened City of Covington Waste-To-Energy Gasification Plant Nashville, Tennessee 0.125 City of Nashville 2013

Coal

Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Scheduled retirement Cumberland Fossil PlantTVA Cumberland Fossil Plant Cumberland City, Tennessee 2,600 Tennessee Valley Authority 1973 2028 Gallatin Fossil PlantTVA Gallatin Fossil Plant Sumner County, Tennessee 1,255 Tennessee Valley Authority 1956 2035 Kingston Fossil PlantTVA Kingston Fossil Plant Kingston, Tennessee 1,700 Tennessee Valley Authority 1954 2035

Natural gas The Tennessee Valley Authority operates nine natural gas power stations in Tennessee.TVA - Natural Gas Six of these use simple combustion turbines. Three newer facilities use more efficient combined cycle generators.

Name Location Type Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Allen Combined Cycle Plant Memphis, Tennessee Gas, biogas 1,100 Tennessee Valley Authority 2018 Allen Combustion Turbine Plant Memphis, Tennessee Gas, biogas 456 Tennessee Valley Authority 1971 Brownsville Combustion Turbine Plant Brownsville, Tennessee Gas 468 Tennessee Valley Authority 1999 Gallatin Combustion Turbine Plant Gallatin, Tennessee Gas 600 Tennessee Valley Authority 1975 Gleason Combustion Turbine Plant Weakley County, Tennessee Gas 465 Tennessee Valley Authority 2000 Lagoon Creek Combined Cycle Plant Brownsville, Tennessee Gas 525 Tennessee Valley Authority 2010 Lagoon Creek Combustion Turbine Plant Brownsville, Tennessee Gas 941 Tennessee Valley Authority 2001 John Sevier Combined Cycle Plant Rogersville, Tennessee Gas 871 Tennessee Valley Authority 2012 Johnsonville Combustion Turbine Plant New Johnsonville, Tennessee Gas 1,133 Tennessee Valley Authority 1975, 2000

Hydroelectric plants NameTVA - Hydroelectric Location Type Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Boone Dam Holston River Hydroelectric 89 Tennessee Valley Authority 1952 Cheatham Dam Cumberland River Hydroelectric 36 United States Army Corps of Engineers 1960 Center Hill Dam Cumberland River Hydroelectric 160 United States Army Corps of Engineers 1950 Cherokee Dam Holston River Hydroelectric 136 Tennessee Valley Authority 1941 Chickamauga Dam Tennessee River Hydroelectric 119 Tennessee Valley Authority 1940 Cordell Hull Dam Cumberland River Hydroelectric 100 United States Army Corps of Engineers 1973 Douglas Dam French Broad River Hydroelectric 111 Tennessee Valley Authority 1943 Fort Loudoun Dam Tennessee River Hydroelectric 162 Tennessee Valley Authority 1943 Fort Patrick Henry Dam Holston River Hydroelectric 41 Tennessee Valley Authority 1953 Great Falls Dam Caney Fork River Hydroelectric 36 Tennessee Valley Authority 1916 J. Percy Priest Dam Stones River Hydroelectric 28 United States Army Corps of Engineers 1967 Melton Hill Dam Clinch River Hydroelectric 79 Tennessee Valley Authority 1963 Nickajack Dam Tennessee River Hydroelectric 105 Tennessee Valley Authority 1967 Norris Dam Clinch River Hydroelectric 110 Tennessee Valley Authority 1936 Ocoee Dam No. 1 Ocoee River Hydroelectric 24 Tennessee Valley Authority 1911 Ocoee Dam No. 2 Ocoee River Hydroelectric 23 Tennessee Valley Authority 1913 Ocoee Dam No. 3 Ocoee River Hydroelectric 29 Tennessee Valley Authority 1943 Old Hickory Dam Cumberland River Hydroelectric 100 United States Army Corps of Engineers 1957 Pickwick Dam Tennessee River Hydroelectric 229 Tennessee Valley Authority 1938 Raccoon Mountain Facility Tennessee River Pumped storage hydro 1,652 Tennessee Valley Authority 1978 South Holston Dam Holston River Hydroelectric 44 Tennessee Valley Authority 1950 Tims Ford Dam Elk River Hydroelectric 36 Tennessee Valley Authority 1970 Watauga Dam Watauga River Hydroelectric 66 Tennessee Valley Authority 1948 Watts Bar Dam Tennessee River Hydroelectric 182 Tennessee Valley Authority 1942 Wilbur Dam Watauga River Hydroelectric 11 Tennessee Valley Authority 1912

Wind farms

Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm Oak Ridge, Tennessee 29 Tennessee Valley Authority 2000

Solar stations

Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Allen Solar Plant Memphis, Tennessee 1 Tennessee Valley Authority 2017 Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Solar Farm Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, Chattanooga, Tennessee 2.1 Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority 2011 Mulberry Solar Farm McNairy County, Tennessee 20 Strata Solar 2014 Selmer Solar Farm Selmer, Tennessee 20 Strata Solar 2014 Volkswagen Solar Farm Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant, Chattanooga, Tennessee 9.5 Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant 2013 West Tennessee Solar Farm Stanton, Tennessee 5 University of Tennessee 2012

Nuclear plants The Tennessee Valley Authority operates two nuclear plants in Tennessee. In addition much of the power generated at TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Limestone County, Alabama is distributed to Tennessee.

Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Sequoyah Nuclear Plant Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee 2,300 Tennessee Valley Authority 1981 Watts Bar Nuclear PlantSpring City, Tennessee 2,300 Tennessee Valley Authority 1996 and 2015

Former facilities Coal Name Location Capacity (MW) Operator Year opened Year retired Eastman Chemical Power Plant Kingsport, Tennessee 131 Eastman Chemical Co-TN Ops 1936 1994 Allen Fossil Plant Memphis, Tennessee 990 Tennessee Valley Authority 1959 2018 Watts Bar Steam Plant Rhea County, Tennessee 267 Tennessee Valley Authority 1942 1982 John Sevier Fossil Plant Hawkins County, Tennessee 880 Tennessee Valley Authority 1957 2012 Johnsonville Fossil Plant New Johnsonville, Tennessee 1500 Tennessee Valley Authority 1951 2017 Bull Run Fossil PlantTVA Bull Run Fossil Plant Claxton, Tennessee 950 Tennessee Valley Authority 1967 2023

Hydroelectric Station Location Type Capacity (MW) Status Year opened Year closed Hales Bar Dam Haletown, Tennessee Hydroelectric 71 Decommissioned 1913 1952

Cancelled facilities Station Location Type Units Year construction began Year cancelled Hartsville Nuclear Plant Hartsville, Tennessee Nuclear 4 1975 1984 Phipps Bend Nuclear Plant Surgoinsville, Tennessee Nuclear 2 1977 1981

See also

List of power stations operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority

References

External links