World Power Plants

Buck Hydro8.4 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Buck Hydro is an 8.4 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by Appalachian Power Co since 1912. Ranked #720 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 8.4 MW accounts for 0.01% of the total hydro capacity in the country, which is 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Buck Hydro 809.5 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Claytor (74.8 MW, Hydro), Byllesby 2 (21.6 MW, Hydro), and Radford Army Ammunition Plant (18 MW, Gas). The facility is located in Virginia, approximately 150 km southwest of Richmond.

Capacity
8.4 MW
Commissioning Year
1912

114 years old

Owner
Appalachian Power Co
Location
36.8082°, -80.9387°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 5,118. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #25,632 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #5,816 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

114 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Appalachian Power Co operates 15 plants totalling 6,656 MW

Regional density

28 plants within 100 km, 2,803 MW combined

Nearest plant: Byllesby 2 (2.5 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 36.808200, -80.938700
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Buck Hydro is a hydro power plant producing approximately 29 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.

Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)

Technical Details

Primary Fuel Type
Hydro
Energy Source
Renewable
Country
United States of America
Continent
North America
Data Source
Global Power Plant Database

United States of AmericaEnergy Profile

10,098
Total Plants
1420.7 GW
Total Capacity
GasCoalNuclearWind
Top Fuels

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