Browns Ferry
Browns Ferry is a nuclear plant in Limestone County, Alabama, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. By nameplate capacity it is the sixth-largest power plant in the United States and the largest in Alabama. Among the 56 nuclear plants in the country it is the third-largest. Within the Tennessee Valley Authority balancing area it is the largest of 152 plants.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
3,854 MW
3,662 MW net summer capacity
3 operable units
- Nuclear3,854 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1974 to 2025
operating in 2025bar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Nuclear, 1,281 MW, 1974
Unit 2 Nuclear, 1,281 MW, 1975
Unit 3 Nuclear, 1,292 MW, 1977
Among Alabama’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Browns Ferrythis plant
- 2Barry3,344 MW
- 3James H Miller Jr2,822 MW
Other rankings
- Nuclear plants in Alabama
- 1st of 2
- Plants run by Tennessee Valley Authority
- 1st of 53
- Biggest single unit, among Alabama’s plants
- 1st of 78
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear | 1,281 MW | 1,227 MW | 1974 | Operating |
| 2 | Nuclear | 1,281 MW | 1,208 MW | 1975 | Operating |
| 3 | Nuclear | 1,292 MW | 1,227 MW | 1977 | Operating |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Reliability region
- SERC Reliability Corporation
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 500 kV
- Water source
- Tennessee River
- Nearest town on record
- Decatur
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 34.704°N, 87.119°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Energy Center | Natural gas | 900 MW | 5.4 mi southeast |
| Decatur-Morgan Co LFG Recovery Project | Biomass and waste | 1.6 MW | 5.7 mi south |
| Decatur Energy Center | Natural gas | 902 MW | 7.6 mi southeast |
| Wheeler Dam | Hydroelectric | 404 MW | 16.5 mi northwest |
| Cumblerland Land Holdings, LLC | Solar | 14.7 MW | 22.1 mi northeast |
| TAI Huntsville Solar Hybrid | Solar | 32.4 MW | 29.0 mi east |
| Wilson Dam | Hydroelectric | 667 MW | 29.5 mi west |
| Redstone Arsenal Hybrid | Solar | 11 MW | 29.5 mi east |