Wheeler Dam
Lawrence County, Alabama · EIA plant ID 49 · Operator: Tennessee Valley Authority
Nameplate404MWSummer 398 MW
Generators11in service
Net generation1,183GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor34%hydro units, summer MW
Heat rate—thermal plants only
First online1936
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 | 1,087.9 | 32.4% | — |
| 2002 | 1,178.8 | 36.1% | — |
| 2003 | 1,604.9 | 47.2% | — |
| 2004 | 1,473.7 | 41.9% | — |
| 2005 | 1,126.1 | 32.2% | — |
| 2006 | 947.1 | 27.2% | — |
| 2007 | 560.7 | 16.1% | — |
| 2008 | 771.2 | 22.1% | — |
| 2009 | 1,555 | 44.6% | — |
| 2010 | 1,096.6 | 31.4% | — |
| 2011 | 1,384.5 | 39.7% | — |
| 2012 | 1,104.7 | 31.6% | — |
| 2013 | 1,863.4 | 53.4% | — |
| 2014 | 1,247.3 | 35.8% | — |
| 2015 | 1,439.8 | 41.3% | — |
| 2016 | 1,014.9 | 29.0% | — |
| 2017 | 1,295.6 | 37.1% | — |
| 2018 | 1,623.8 | 46.6% | — |
| 2019 | 1,630.3 | 46.7% | — |
| 2020 | 2,290 | 65.5% | — |
| 2021 | 1,611.1 | 46.2% | — |
| 2022 | 1,373.7 | 39.4% | — |
| 2023 | 1,072.7 | 30.8% | — |
| 2024 | 1,194.4 | 34.2% | — |
| 2025 | 1,183.1 | 33.9% | — |
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 | 35.1 | 34.1 | Nov 1936 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 10 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 36 | 41.9 | Jun 1963 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 11 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 43.6 | 41.9 | Dec 1963 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 33.2 | Apr 1937 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 3 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 33.6 | Jan 1941 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 4 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 33.4 | Mar 1941 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 5 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 34.7 | Oct 1948 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 6 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 34.6 | Feb 1949 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 7 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 34.4 | Dec 1949 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 8 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 35.1 | 34.5 | Mar 1950 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 9 | Conventional Hydroelectric | HY | 43.6 | 41.9 | Dec 1962 | 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% | 404 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Hillsboro Solar 3 | — | 20.4 km |
| Lawrence County Solar | — | 22.1 km |
| Wilson Dam | 667 MW | 22.3 km |
| Browns Ferry | 3,854 MW | 26.6 km |
| Spring Valley Solar 2 | — | 29.6 km |
| Decatur-Morgan Co LFG Recovery Project | 2 MW | 32.8 km |