Cherokee Dam
Jefferson County, Tennessee · EIA plant ID 3397 · Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
Nameplate135MWSummer 142 MW
Generators4in service
Net generation315GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor25%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1942
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 | 217.4 | 18.0% | — |
| 2002 | 259.6 | 19.7% | — |
| 2003 | 546.8 | 41.5% | — |
| 2004 | 394.5 | 29.7% | — |
| 2005 | 296 | 21.7% | — |
| 2006 | 261.4 | 19.4% | — |
| 2007 | 158.2 | 11.8% | — |
| 2008 | 153.4 | 11.4% | — |
| 2009 | 375.4 | 27.9% | — |
| 2010 | 283.6 | 21.1% | — |
| 2011 | 409.1 | 33.0% | — |
| 2012 | 313.3 | 25.2% | — |
| 2013 | 551.9 | 44.5% | — |
| 2014 | 277.7 | 22.4% | — |
| 2015 | 372 | 30.0% | — |
| 2016 | 265.1 | 21.3% | — |
| 2017 | 347.5 | 28.0% | — |
| 2018 | 421.3 | 34.0% | — |
| 2019 | 425.1 | 34.3% | — |
| 2020 | 623.9 | 50.2% | — |
| 2021 | 385.8 | 31.1% | — |
| 2022 | 336.3 | 27.1% | — |
| 2023 | 301.3 | 24.3% | — |
| 2024 | 341.4 | 27.5% | — |
| 2025 | 315.3 | 25.4% | — |
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 | 33.4 | 37 | Apr 1942 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 34.6 | 39.8 | Jan 1953 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 34.6 | 39.8 | Jun 1942 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 4 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 32.4 | 25 | Oct 1953 | 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% | 135 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| SR White Pine, LLC | 2 MW | 19.8 km |
| Douglas Dam | 151 MW | 23.2 km |
| University of Tennessee Steam Plant | 5 MW | 45.6 km |
| Chestnut Ridge Gas Recovery | 5 MW | 48.3 km |
| John Sevier | 997 MW | 53.2 km |
| SR Albany, LLC | 4 MW | 53.5 km |