Power plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing area
The Tennessee Valley Authority balancing area takes in 152 power plants with 44.0 GW of nameplate capacity, the eighth-largest of the 40 areas covered here. Its plants sit in six states, with Tennessee holding 53% of the capacity. Natural gas makes up 42% of the mix, and the largest plant is Browns Ferry (3,854 MW). Since 2020, 3,595 MW has come online here, 57% of it natural gas.
- Natural gas18,592 MW42%
- Nuclear8,835 MW20%
- Coal7,644 MW17%
- Hydroelectric4,888 MW11%
- Pumped-storage hydro1,809 MW4.1%
- Solar1,739 MW4.0%
- Biomass and waste222 MW0.5%
- Oil and petroleum194 MW0.4%
- Battery storage101 MW0.2%
Capacity by decade it came online
NuclearCoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricPumped-storage hydroSolarBattery storageBiomass and waste
Above the line: capacity operating in 2025. Below: capacity retired at plants that still run.
The 25 largest plants in the area
| Rank | Plant | State | Runs on | Capacity | First unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Browns Ferry | Alabama | Nuclear | 3,854 MW | 1974 |
| 2 | Cumberland (TN) | Tennessee | Coal | 2,600 MW | 1973 |
| 3 | Watts Bar Nuclear Plant | Tennessee | Nuclear | 2,540 MW | 1996 |
| 4 | Sequoyah | Tennessee | Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 1981 |
| 5 | Gallatin (TN) | Tennessee | Coal | 1,918 MW | 1956 |
| 6 | Paradise | Kentucky | Natural gas | 1,854 MW | 2017 |
| 7 | Raccoon Mountain | Tennessee | Pumped-storage hydro | 1,714 MW | 1978 |
| 8 | Kingston | Tennessee | Coal | 1,700 MW | 1954 |
| 9 | Johnsonville | Tennessee | Natural gas | 1,676 MW | 1975 |
| 10 | Lagoon Creek | Tennessee | Natural gas | 1,625 MW | 2001 |
| 11 | Shawnee | Kentucky | Coal | 1,575 MW | 1953 |
| 12 | Allen | Tennessee | Natural gas | 1,290 MW | 1972 |
| 13 | Colbert | Alabama | Natural gas | 1,170 MW | 1972 |
| 14 | Magnolia Power Plant | Mississippi | Natural gas | 1,004 MW | 2003 |
| 15 | John Sevier | Tennessee | Natural gas | 997 MW | 2012 |
| 16 | TVA Southaven Combined Cycle | Mississippi | Natural gas | 904 MW | 2003 |
| 17 | Decatur Energy Center | Alabama | Natural gas | 902 MW | 2002 |
| 18 | Morgan Energy Center | Alabama | Natural gas | 900 MW | 2003 |
| 19 | Choctaw County | Mississippi | Natural gas | 899 MW | 2003 |
| 20 | Batesville Generation Facility | Mississippi | Natural gas | 891 MW | 2000 |
| 21 | Quantum Choctaw Power LLC | Mississippi | Natural gas | 850 MW | 2006 |
| 22 | Caledonia | Mississippi | Natural gas | 801 MW | 2003 |
| 23 | Marshall Energy Facility | Kentucky | Natural gas | 688 MW | 2002 |
| 24 | Wilson Dam | Alabama | Hydroelectric | 667 MW | 1925 |
| 25 | Gleason Generating Facility | Tennessee | Natural gas | 568 MW | 2000 |
States
| State | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 98 | 23.1 GW |
| Alabama | 16 | 8,396 MW |
| Mississippi | 20 | 6,879 MW |
| Kentucky | 10 | 4,941 MW |
| North Carolina | 5 | 618 MW |
| Georgia | 3 | 40.5 MW |
Operators with the most capacity
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 53 | 36.3 GW |
| Decatur Energy Center LLC | 1 | 902 MW |
| Morgan Energy Center LLC | 1 | 900 MW |
| Entergy Mississippi LLC | 1 | 899 MW |
| Cooperative Energy | 1 | 891 MW |
| USCE-Nashville District | 8 | 878 MW |
| Choctaw Generation L.P, L.L.L.P. | 1 | 514 MW |
| Origis Energy USA, Inc | 2 | 450 MW |
| Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP | 4 | 391 MW |
| Muscle Shoals Solar, LLC | 1 | 227 MW |