By Lorelei Goff
Soon after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency criticized the Tennessee Valley Authority for underestimating climate and air pollution impacts of converting the Kingston coal-fired power plant to methane gas, TVA decided on April 2 to move forward with its gas buildout plans for the plant.
The decision ignores the EPA’s concerns that TVA was not transparent, failed to reasonably consider clean energy alternatives and did not address other issues the EPA identified with TVA’s draft environmental analysis.
This comes after the TVA Board of Directors again abdicated final decision-making authority on the proposed Kingston gas plant to the TVA CEO last year. Residents and congressional representatives continue to call for more transparency from TVA on plant decisions and TVA’s long term energy planning process.
Rep. Steve Cohen (D- Tenn.) and Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), introduced the TVA Increase Rate of Participation Act in March. The bill proposes changes to increase public participation in the federally owned utility’s long-term planning process, while also requiring the utility to take into account certain factors to ensure the plan will result in clean, sustainable, reliable and affordable energy for people in the Tennessee Valley.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
English Language Learning in Appalachia
Learning English is always difficult. But current aggressive approaches to immigration policy are creating more barriers for learners and the programs that serve them than ever before in Appalachia and beyond.
Landfill Drama
Many residents of Pike County, Kentucky, are breathing a sigh of relief since county commissioners finalized their decision to rescind a contract with an out-of-state waste management company.
Overdrive: Fossil Fuels in Appalachia
Electricity demand is on the rise. Here, we share snapshots of energy trends in the region and how methane gas, coal and data centers are affecting our communities — and how people are pushing back.
Less Support for Communities with Mine Problems
The Trump administration issued a regulation to weaken the Ten Day Notice process that helps community members call in federal enforcement when state regulators don’t do a good job policing environmental problems at coal mines
Chaos at the Tennessee Valley Authority, Cuts to Public Input
The past year has brought turmoil and uncertainty to the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power provider, and its more than 10 million customers across the Tennessee Valley.
Landmark Coal Ash Protections Under Attack
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is planning to eviscerate important, hard-won regulations on coal ash, a toxic waste left after burning coal for energy.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment