Tapoco
Encyclopedia
Tapoco, originally Tallassee Power Company, is a generator and supplier of electric power. Tapoco is a division of APGI (Alcoa Power Generating Inc.
) which in turn is owned by ALCOA
Inc. The Tapoco Project serves to generate and supply hydroelectric power to ALCOA
’s Tennessee Operations, an aluminum smelting
and rolling mill in Alcoa, Tennessee
. The Tennessee Operations complex has had a presence in the Great Smoky Mountains
' foothills for more than 75 years. The aluminum smelter, which uses large amounts of electric power, first began operation in 1913. The North Plant fabricating facility opened in 1942 to help meet the aluminum needs for World War II
. Today, the Tennessee complex is one of the most modern aluminum manufacturing facilities in the world.
Tapoco owns and operates the Tapoco Project, four separate hydroelectric complexes located along the Little Tennessee River
and the Cheoah River
in eastern Tennessee
and western North Carolina
. The Tapoco Project comprises four developments: Calderwood
, Cheoah
, Chilhowee
, and Santeetlah
. TVA
assists Tapoco in determining the daily operation levels of the Tapoco developments to best match expected flow releases from Fontana Dam
, since TVA's Fontana Dam
serves as the primary flow control facility for the lower Little Tennessee River area.
Tapoco was created to manage the water power resources of the Little Tennessee
and Cheoah
Rivers in order to provide power for ALCOA
’s nearby aluminum smelting and rolling operations. ALCOA
has been involved in hydroelectric power development and generation in Tennessee
and North Carolina
since 1909. Tallassee Power Company originally built three of the facilities. The Cheoah Dam and Powerhouse was constructed between 1916-1919, Santeetlah Development between 1925-1928, followed by Calderwood Development between 1928-1930. Tapoco constructed the final dam, Chilhowee, from 1955-1957. Combined, the four developments have a licensed capacity of 380.1 megawatts.
The Cheoah Dam is also the dam used in the movie The Fugitive
where Harrison Ford's character jumps to escape.
Alcoa Power Generating Inc.
Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alcoa, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its three divisions were independent subsidiaries before being consolidated into Alcoa Power Generating, Inc....
) which in turn is owned by ALCOA
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
Inc. The Tapoco Project serves to generate and supply hydroelectric power to ALCOA
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
’s Tennessee Operations, an aluminum smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
and rolling mill in Alcoa, Tennessee
Alcoa, Tennessee
Alcoa is a city in Blount County, Tennessee, United States, south of Knoxville. Its population was 7,744 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. The Tennessee Operations complex has had a presence in the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the...
' foothills for more than 75 years. The aluminum smelter, which uses large amounts of electric power, first began operation in 1913. The North Plant fabricating facility opened in 1942 to help meet the aluminum needs for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Today, the Tennessee complex is one of the most modern aluminum manufacturing facilities in the world.
Tapoco owns and operates the Tapoco Project, four separate hydroelectric complexes located along the Little Tennessee River
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
and the Cheoah River
Cheoah River
The Cheoah River is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina in the United States.It is located in Graham County in far western North Carolina, near Robbinsville, and is approximately 20 miles in length...
in eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The Tapoco Project comprises four developments: Calderwood
Calderwood Dam
Calderwood Dam is a hydroelectric dam located along the Little Tennessee River in Blount and Monroe counties, Tennessee. Completed in 1930, the dam is owned and maintained by Tapoco, a subsidiary of the Aluminum Company of America , although the Tennessee Valley Authority controls the dam's...
, Cheoah
Cheoah Dam
The Cheoah Dam is a hydroelectric complex located in Graham and Swain counties, North Carolina on the Little Tennessee River between river miles 51 and 52. The Cheoah Development consists of a dam and powerhouse, the first of several constructed by the Tallassee Power Company, now Tapoco...
, Chilhowee
Chilhowee Dam
Chilhowee Dam is a hydroelectric dam located in Blount and Monroe counties, Tennessee, between river mile 33 and 34 on the Little Tennessee River. Construction began in 1955 and was completed in 1957. The dam's reservoir covers approximately at normal full pool and has a drainage area of . The...
, and Santeetlah
Santeetlah Dam
Santeetlah Dam is a hydroelectric development on the Cheoah River in Graham County, North Carolina. The dam together with a pipeline/tunnel facility, and a powerhouse form the Santeetlah Development...
. TVA
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
assists Tapoco in determining the daily operation levels of the Tapoco developments to best match expected flow releases from Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties, North Carolina, USA. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to accommodate the skyrocketing electricity demands in the Tennessee Valley at the...
, since TVA's Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam
Fontana Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Little Tennessee River in Swain and Graham counties, North Carolina, USA. The dam is operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which built the dam in the early 1940s to accommodate the skyrocketing electricity demands in the Tennessee Valley at the...
serves as the primary flow control facility for the lower Little Tennessee River area.
Tapoco was created to manage the water power resources of the Little Tennessee
Little Tennessee River
The Little Tennessee River is a tributary of the Tennessee River, approximately 135 miles long, in the Appalachian Mountains in the southeastern United States.-Geography:...
and Cheoah
Cheoah River
The Cheoah River is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina in the United States.It is located in Graham County in far western North Carolina, near Robbinsville, and is approximately 20 miles in length...
Rivers in order to provide power for ALCOA
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
’s nearby aluminum smelting and rolling operations. ALCOA
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
has been involved in hydroelectric power development and generation in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
since 1909. Tallassee Power Company originally built three of the facilities. The Cheoah Dam and Powerhouse was constructed between 1916-1919, Santeetlah Development between 1925-1928, followed by Calderwood Development between 1928-1930. Tapoco constructed the final dam, Chilhowee, from 1955-1957. Combined, the four developments have a licensed capacity of 380.1 megawatts.
The Cheoah Dam is also the dam used in the movie The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
where Harrison Ford's character jumps to escape.