Raccoon Mountain and Nickajack Reservoir

Two of our substation engineers were sent to Chattanooga for Power Circuit Breaker training and on the return trip took a look at one of TVAs most unique and innovative facilities, the Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant.


The plant works like a large storage battery. During periods of low demand, water is pumped from Nickajack Reservoir at the base of the mountain to the reservoir built at the top. It takes 28 hours to fill the upper reservoir. When demand is high, water is released via a tunnel drilled through the center of the mountain to drive generators in the mountain’s underground power plant.




Raccoon Mountain is the largest water-storage facility of its kind in the world. To put its power into perspective, the Allen Steam Plant in Memphis has a general capacity of 900 Mega Watts (MW) of power output with its three coal fired generators running, or 1200 MW with its additional 20 peaking gas fired generators in service. The Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant has the capacity of 1600 MW and is a major factor in the efficient, reliable operation of the entire TVA power system.


The area around Raccoon Mountain is a state-designated Wildlife Observation Area. The mountaintop is home to whitetail deer, woodchucks, gray foxes, and, of course, raccoons. The most compelling wildlife attraction of the area is a large wintering population of bald eagles, which can be sighted from the overlook as they hunt in the woods and waters.