World Power Plants

Watauga is a 57.6 MW hydro power plant in the United States, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority since 1949. Ranked #291 of 1469 hydro plants in the United States. Its 57.6 MW represents 0.05% 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 Watauga 118 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Wolf Hills Energy (285 MW, Gas), Tennessee Eastman Operations (194.3 MW, Coal), and Boone Dam (105.9 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in Tennessee, approximately 200 km northeast of Nashville.

Capacity
57.6 MW
Commissioning Year
1949

77 years old

Owner
Tennessee Valley Authority
Location
36.3413°, -82.1264°

United States of America, North America

Context & rankings
  • 2,794. largest of 10,098 plants in United States of America
  • #12,590 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #3,024 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
Age & fleet comparison

77 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Tennessee Valley Authority operates 60 plants totalling 47,132 MW

Regional density

34 plants within 100 km, 3,101 MW combined

Nearest plant: South Holston (20.5 km)

Location

Coordinates:: 36.341300, -82.126400
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Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Watauga is a hydro power plant producing approximately 202 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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