World Power Plants

Santeetlah is a 45 MW hydroelectric power plant in the United States, operated by Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP since 1928. Ranked #322 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States, it contributes 0.04% of the country'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 Santeetlah 151 times smaller. Nearby plants include Fontana Dam (255 MW, Hydro), Hiwassee Dam (166 MW, Hydro), and Calderwood (157 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in North Carolina, approximately 50 km west of Asheville.

Capacity
45 MW
Commissioning Year
1928

98 years old

Owner
Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP
Location
35.4475°, -83.8639°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 3,099. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #14,641 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #3,296 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

98 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Brookfield Smoky Mountain Hydropower LP operates 4 plants totalling 391 MW

Regional density

51 plants within 100 km, 11,437 MW combined

Nearest plant: Fontana Dam (5.3 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 35.447500, -83.863900
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Santeetlah is a hydro power plant producing approximately 158 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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