World Power Plants

Chilhowee49.8 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

Chilhowee is a 49.8 MW hydro power plant in the United States of America, operated by Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP since 1957. Ranked #310 of 1,469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 49.8 MW represents 0.04% of the U.S. total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making Chilhowee 136.5 times smaller. Nearby plants include Fontana Dam (254.7 MW, Hydro), Hiwassee Dam (165.6 MW, Hydro), and Calderwood (156.6 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in Tennessee, approximately 50 km from Knoxville.

Capacity
49.8 MW
Commissioning Year
1957

69 years old

Owner
Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP
Location
35.5453°, -84.0503°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 2,979. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #13,621 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #3,207 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

69 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP operates 4 plants totalling 391 MW

Regional density

42 plants within 100 km, 9,911 MW combined

Nearest plant: Calderwood (8.6 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 35.545300, -84.050300
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Chilhowee is a hydro power plant producing approximately 174 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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