Fontana Dam
Swain County, North Carolina · EIA plant ID 2779 · Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
Nameplate255MWSummer 304 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation900GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor34%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1945
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), hydro units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Heat rate applies to fuel-burning (thermal) units only.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 527.9 | 23.1% | — |
| 2002 | 801.3 | 29.6% | — |
| 2003 | 1,171.7 | 42.4% | — |
| 2004 | 1,071.8 | 38.6% | — |
| 2005 | 1,108.6 | 41.0% | — |
| 2006 | 732 | 27.5% | — |
| 2007 | 485.7 | 18.2% | — |
| 2008 | 604.6 | 22.6% | — |
| 2009 | 1,018.7 | 38.2% | — |
| 2010 | 838.7 | 31.5% | — |
| 2011 | 814.1 | 30.6% | — |
| 2012 | 773.5 | 28.9% | — |
| 2013 | 1,437.8 | 54.0% | — |
| 2014 | 855.2 | 32.1% | — |
| 2015 | 903.8 | 33.9% | — |
| 2016 | 796.9 | 29.8% | — |
| 2017 | 731.2 | 27.4% | — |
| 2018 | 1,150.6 | 43.2% | — |
| 2019 | 1,136.2 | 42.6% | — |
| 2020 | 1,848.2 | 69.2% | — |
| 2021 | 1,328.4 | 49.9% | — |
| 2022 | 980.1 | 36.8% | — |
| 2023 | 813.6 | 30.5% | — |
| 2024 | 879 | 32.9% | — |
| 2025 | 900.2 | 33.8% | — |
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 81 | 101.4 | Jan 1945 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 92.7 | 101.4 | Mar 1945 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 81 | 101.4 | Feb 1954 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 100.0% | 255 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Santeetlah | 45 MW | 5.3 km |
| Cheoah | 140 MW | 12.1 km |
| Calderwood | 157 MW | 16.6 km |
| Nantahala | 43 MW | 23.1 km |
| Queens Creek | 1 MW | 23.1 km |
| Chilhowee | 50 MW | 24.6 km |