The Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, has released its integrated resource plan for the next 20 years.
The Associated Press said the plan, a “roadmap” of how the TVA will respond in good or bad economic times or during periods of stricter environmental regulation, offered that “no matter the scenario, TVA officials see the agency relying on natural gas and renewable energy, especially solar power.”
“Natural gas is a win-win because it burns more efficiently than coal. This is certainly better for the environment as far as decreasing carbon dioxide output,” said Dr. Stan Dunagan, UTM associate professor of Geology.
“There’s a lot of guidelines to try to reduce coal use,” Dunagan continued. “Unfortunately, a lot of TVA facilities are coal-burning plants, and could cost a lot of money to convert.”
The Associated Press added that the plan, released March 9, has been hailed as an important first step by environmental groups, but these groups still say the TVA has not gone far enough. A coalition of environmental organizations are calling the plan a “missed opportunity” to help TVA consumers save energy, lower electricity bills and foster a clean-energy economy. The Associated Press also reported that the environmental groups said the TVA is beginning to embrace solar power, but criticized the draft plan for not having enough development of wind power.
The TVA’s integrated resource plan follows the company’s December 2014 Green Power Switch. According to the TVA, Green Power Switch is “a simple way to support regional renewable energy.” Each $4 block of Green Power Switch you buy is added to your monthly electric bill and “ensures 150 kilowatt-hours of electricity is generated by a renewable resource such as wind, solar, or biomass.”
Alternatively, TVA customers may elect to go completely green and get off the grid.
Dr. Doug Sterrett, a professor in the Department of Engineering, said, “For the price of a new car, anybody can take their home off the grid. The problem is, most people don’t have $40,000 to $50,000 to just lay on the table, and they’re hesitant to make that investment.
“What most people don’t realize,” Sterrettt continued, “is that the investment pays for itself in eight years.”
According to the Associated Press, the TVA will hold a series of public meetings on the integrated resource plan. A full chart of the meetings can be found at www.tva.gov/environment/reports/irp/index.htm. Upcoming meetings in Tennessee are planned for April 6 in Knoxville, April 15 in Memphis and April 21 in Nashville.
To read the full plan, go to www.tva.gov/environment/reports/irp/pdf/TVA-Draft-Integrated-Resource-Plan.pdf.
If you would like to submit comments on the plan, email them to IRP@tva.gov by April 27. All submitted comments become part of the plan record and will be available for public inspection, according to the TVA.
The TVA is the country’s largest public utility and serves 9 million people in parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
