Power plants in Tennessee
Tennessee has 99 power plants of 1 MW or more in the 2025 EIA-860 data, with 23.3 GW of nameplate capacity, the 20th-largest total among the 50 states and DC. Natural gas accounts for 32% of that capacity. The biggest single site is Cumberland (TN) at 2,600 MW. Units that came online from 2020 to 2025 add 1,296 MW, led by natural gas at 51%. Units retired since 2016 at plants still operating total 2,418 MW, most of it coal.
- Natural gas7,388 MW32%
- Coal5,666 MW24%
- Nuclear4,981 MW21%
- Hydroelectric2,520 MW11%
- Pumped-storage hydro1,714 MW7.3%
- Solar819 MW3.5%
- Oil and petroleum167 MW0.7%
- Biomass and waste87.1 MW0.4%
What is running, by the decade it came online
NuclearCoalNatural gasOil and petroleumHydroelectricPumped-storage hydroSolarBiomass and waste
Columns above the line show capacity still operating in 2025, stacked by fuel. Below the line: capacity retired in each decade at plants that still operate.
The 25 largest plants
| Rank | Plant | Runs on | Capacity | First unit | Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cumberland (TN) | Coal | 2,600 MW | 1973 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 2 | Watts Bar Nuclear Plant | Nuclear | 2,540 MW | 1996 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 3 | Sequoyah | Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 1981 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 4 | Gallatin (TN) | Coal | 1,918 MW | 1956 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 5 | Raccoon Mountain | Pumped-storage hydro | 1,714 MW | 1978 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 6 | Kingston | Coal | 1,700 MW | 1954 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 7 | Johnsonville | Natural gas | 1,676 MW | 1975 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 8 | Lagoon Creek | Natural gas | 1,625 MW | 2001 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 9 | Allen | Natural gas | 1,290 MW | 1972 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 10 | John Sevier | Natural gas | 997 MW | 2012 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 11 | Gleason Generating Facility | Natural gas | 568 MW | 2000 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 12 | Brownsville Peaking Power | Natural gas | 460 MW | 1999 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 13 | Pickwick Landing Dam | Hydroelectric | 240 MW | 1938 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 14 | Tennessee Eastman Operations | Coal | 194 MW | 1936 | Eastman Chemical Co-TN Ops |
| 15 | Ridgely Energy Farm | Solar | 177 MW | 2025 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
| 16 | Watts Bar Hydro | Hydroelectric | 175 MW | 1942 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 17 | Chickamauga | Hydroelectric | 160 MW | 1940 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 18 | Calderwood | Hydroelectric | 157 MW | 1930 | Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP |
| 19 | Center Hill | Hydroelectric | 156 MW | 1950 | USCE-Nashville District |
| 20 | Fort Loudoun | Hydroelectric | 153 MW | 1943 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 21 | Douglas Dam | Hydroelectric | 151 MW | 1943 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 22 | Elora Solar | Solar | 150 MW | 2022 | Elora Solar |
| 23 | Cherokee Dam | Hydroelectric | 135 MW | 1942 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 24 | Norris Dam | Hydroelectric | 131 MW | 1936 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| 25 | Boone Dam | Hydroelectric | 106 MW | 1953 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Largest plant for each main fuel
| Main fuel | Plants | Capacity | Largest plant | Its capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 12 | 6,761 MW | Johnsonville | 1,676 MW |
| Coal | 4 | 6,413 MW | Cumberland (TN) | 2,600 MW |
| Nuclear | 2 | 4,981 MW | Watts Bar Nuclear Plant | 2,540 MW |
| Hydroelectric | 28 | 2,520 MW | Pickwick Landing Dam | 240 MW |
| Pumped-storage hydro | 1 | 1,714 MW | Raccoon Mountain | 1,714 MW |
| Solar | 45 | 819 MW | Ridgely Energy Farm | 177 MW |
| Oil and petroleum | 3 | 49.6 MW | McMinnville | 24 MW |
| Biomass and waste | 4 | 85.1 MW | Packaging Corp of America | 72.5 MW |
Balancing areas
| Area | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 98 | 23.1 GW |
| PJM Interconnection | 1 | 194 MW |
Biggest operators here
| Operator | Plants | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 32 | 21.4 GW |
| USCE-Nashville District | 6 | 478 MW |
| Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP | 2 | 206 MW |
| Eastman Chemical Co-TN Ops | 1 | 194 MW |
| Leeward Asset Management, LLC | 1 | 177 MW |
| Elora Solar | 1 | 150 MW |
| OE_TN1 | 1 | 100 MW |
| Packaging Corp of America | 1 | 72.5 MW |
| SR McKellar, LLC | 1 | 70 MW |
| PRIMIENT, LLC | 1 | 61.4 MW |