Browns Ferry
Limestone County, Alabama · EIA plant ID 46 · Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
Nameplate3,854MWSummer 3,662 MW
Generators3in service
Net generation31,058GWh12 mo to Aug 2026
Capacity factor97%nuclear units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1974
The 12-month figures include preliminary EIA-923 months, which EIA revises. Final data runs through Dec 2025.
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), nuclear 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 | 18,196.7 | 63.1% | — |
| 2002 | 18,171.3 | 63.0% | — |
| 2003 | 17,695 | 61.3% | — |
| 2004 | 18,487.8 | 63.8% | — |
| 2005 | 17,955.9 | 62.2% | — |
| 2006 | 17,871.5 | 61.9% | — |
| 2007 | 21,227.3 | 74.0% | — |
| 2008 | 24,919.4 | 86.7% | — |
| 2009 | 25,742.6 | 89.8% | — |
| 2010 | 24,771.1 | 85.5% | — |
| 2011 | 24,924.9 | 86.0% | — |
| 2012 | 26,078.2 | 89.7% | — |
| 2013 | 26,718.1 | 92.2% | — |
| 2014 | 26,738.3 | 92.2% | — |
| 2015 | 27,669.7 | 95.4% | — |
| 2016 | 26,214.6 | 90.2% | — |
| 2017 | 27,847.9 | 96.1% | — |
| 2018 | 25,397.8 | 80.1% | — |
| 2019 | 29,519.9 | 89.3% | — |
| 2020 | 28,774.9 | 86.8% | — |
| 2021 | 31,053.6 | 96.8% | — |
| 2022 | 29,325.5 | 91.4% | — |
| 2023 | 30,820.5 | 96.1% | — |
| 2024 | 29,403.2 | 91.4% | — |
| 2025 | 29,665.1 | 92.5% | — |
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 | Nuclear | ST | 1,281 | 1,227.4 | Aug 1974 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Nuclear | ST | 1,281 | 1,207.7 | Mar 1975 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Nuclear | ST | 1,292 | 1,226.6 | Mar 1977 | 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% | 3,854 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Morgan Energy Center | 900 MW | 8.8 km |
| Decatur-Morgan Co LFG Recovery Project | 2 MW | 9.1 km |
| Hillsboro Solar 3 | — | 11.1 km |
| Decatur Energy Center | 902 MW | 12.2 km |
| Lawrence County Solar | — | 14.1 km |
| Wheeler Dam | 404 MW | 26.6 km |