TVA hydroelectric
facilities
Hydropower
is America’s leading renewable energy resource. Of all the renewable
power sources, it’s the most reliable, efficient, and economical.
TVA maintains 29
conventional hydroelectric dams throughout the Tennessee
River system and one pumped-storage facility for the
production of electricity. In addition, four Alcoa
dams on the Little Tennessee River and eight Corps of Engineers dams
on the Cumberland River contribute to the TVA power system.
What is hydroelectric
power?
Water is needed to run a hydroelectric generating unit. It’s
held in a reservoir or lake behind the dam, and the force of the water
being released from the reservoir through the dam spins the blades of
a turbine. The turbine is connected to the generator that produces electricity.
After passing through the turbine, the water reenters the river on the
downstream side of the dam.
What
is a pumped-storage plant?
A pumped-storage plant uses two reservoirs, one located at a much
higher elevation than the other. During periods of low demand for electricity,
such as nights and weekends, energy is stored by reversing the turbines
and pumping water from the lower to the upper reservoir. The stored
water
can later be released to turn the turbines and generate electricity as
it flows back into the lower reservoir.
Pumped-Storage
Facility Diagram
TVA’s Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant.
Generating
Plants
Download a color
brochure about TVA’s dams and hydro plants that
explains how they work and includes data on each plant (PDF file,
326 kb).
Find information on all the plants in the TVA generating system via our interactive map.