Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is a pumped-storage

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

underground power station in Marion County, just west of

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. Owned and operated by the

Tennessee Valley Authority The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned electric utility corporation in the United States. TVA's service area covers all of Tennessee, portions of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small areas of Georgia, North Carolin ...

(TVA), the plant can generate a maximum of 1,652 megawatts of electricity. The reservoir at the top of the mountain covers , with a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

that is high and long, the largest rock-fill dam ever built by TVA. The plant serves as an important element for peak power generation and grid balancing in the TVA system. Construction was started in 1970 and was completed in 1978.TVA: Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant
/ref> The plant was idled in March 2012 due to cracks in the generators' rotors. The plant came entirely back on line in April 2014.

Silver Jackets team tours the Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant

Operation

During periods of high electric demand, water flows from reservoir into a

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

drilled through the center of the mountain, driving electric generators in the underground powerhouse. During periods of low demand and excess generation, the generators run in reverse and pump water from Nickajack Lake back up to the top of the mountain, where it is stored until needed later. This process repeats continuously, serving as peak power generation. The plant has a maximum power output of and can generate power for up to 22 hours.

Recreation

The TVA operates a visitor center, open year-round, that offers exhibits on the history of the generating facility as well as the TVA’s operations. The center also offers views of the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is a long river located in the Southern United States, southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, it begins at the confluence of Fren ...

gorge and surrounding mountains. Raccoon Mountain is used for hiking, walking, running, and road and mountain biking. It hosts a marathon, half marathon, double half marathon, relay, 5K and 10K race each year.

References

External links

* {{authority control Dams completed in 1978 Energy infrastructure completed in 1978 Pumped-storage hydroelectric power stations in the United States Hydroelectric power plants in Tennessee Reservoirs in Tennessee Dams in Tennessee Tennessee Valley Authority dams Buildings and structures in Marion County, Tennessee 1978 establishments in Tennessee Landforms of Marion County, Tennessee Underground power stations