Having developed virtually all the river's power resources, TVA has built huge coal-burning steam electric plants to help serve the region's growing power needs. TVA power is sold at wholesale to cities and rural electric cooperatives which, in turn, distribute it at retail to homes, farms, business and industry. The largest of these, using more power than a great city, are the atomic plants at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Paducah, Kentucky. You are now at Blue Ridge Dam on the Toccoa River. This is a power dam.
Stored water is released to generate electricity.
Before reaching the Ohio River the same water produces electricity at 10 additional dams. This page has been accessed times from sites outside the Institute since September 16, 1999.