World Power Plants

High Shoals Hydro (NC)1.8 MW Hydroelectric

HydroRenewableVerified: Jul 2026

High Shoals Hydro (NC) is a 1.8 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by Mills Shoals Hydro Co Inc since 1934. Ranked #1241 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 1.8 MW constitutes 0.0015% of the United States' total hydro capacity of 117,947 MW. The largest hydro plant in the United States is Grand Coulee Dam at 6,809 MW, making High Shoals Hydro 3,784 times smaller. Nearby plants include McGuire Nuclear Station (2440.6 MW, Nuclear), McGuire (2440.6 MW, Nuclear), and Catawba Nuclear Station (2410.2 MW, Nuclear). The facility is located in North Carolina, approximately 50 km from Charlotte.

Capacity
1.8 MW
Commissioning Year
1934

92 years old

Owner
Mills Shoals Hydro Co Inc
Location
35.3943°, -81.2010°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 8,512. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #35,026 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #7,599 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

92 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Mills Shoals Hydro Co Inc operates 1 plants totalling 2 MW

Regional density

171 plants within 100 km, 23,005 MW combined

Nearest plant: Gaston County Renewable Energy Center (2.8 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 35.394300, -81.201000
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

High Shoals Hydro (NC) is a hydro power plant producing approximately 6 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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