The Tennessee Valley Authority recently released a report that, among other things, details its work so far to reduce carbon emissions and its efforts to expand its renewable energy portfolio.
The report notes that TVA is pursuing a clean energy strategy that maintains affordability, adds capacity to the grid, and supports energy security.
Driving Down Carbon Emissions
As of April 2024, TVA has retired or announced retirement of 86% of our coal fleet, a total of 12,297 megawatts.
To continue to provide reliable and resilient power, TVA has replaced some coal units with lower emission natural gas.
Natural gas has several advantages including providing dispatchable, fast-start generation to help us meet growing peak demands for energy, TVA noted. “At this time, natural gas helps balance an affordable, reliable, resilient, and cleaner system. It is a low-cost, highly efficient, and proven technology that enables TVA to reduce carbon emissions and maintain affordability. As the system evolves, natural gas becomes an important backstop — the capacity, the reliability insurance, and the resiliency contribution.”
Natural gas “is not in competition with renewables – it accelerates the expansion of renewables on the system.”
Growth In Renewables
Renewables, including solar, are a growing part of TVA’s diverse energy portfolio. TVA is driving towards an aspiration of up to 10,000 megawatts of solar supplying the system by 2035, with around 4,000 megawatts of solar operating or committed for development. TVA’s solar portfolio is valued at $5 billion and represents our commitment to purchasing renewable energy over the next 20 years.
TVA is bringing renewables onto the system directly and through programs that enable local power company ownership and partnership with solar developers.
In Kentucky, TVA is pursuing a first-of-its-kind, 100-megawatt solar generation pilot project on a closed coal ash site at the Shawnee Fossil Plant.
“Using a patented closure cap system called ClosureTurf®, this technology provides the capability for an innovative approach to building solar generation on closed landfills and impoundments. Solar panels can be directly attached to the engineered turf foundation using a system called PowerCap™ that maintains the integrity of the closed site,” TVA noted.
Adding Renewables Through Partnership
Increasingly, TVA is working with partners to bring more solar on to the system. Today, there are significant incentives and tax credits available for different entities to build and operate solar generation.
Looking ahead, TVA believes these Power Purchase Agreements will be the quickest and most cost-effective way to bring solar to the Valley.
TVA has a portfolio of renewable programs that enable businesses and local power companies (LPCs) to meet their sustainability goals while promoting economic development and clean energy sources in the Valley.
Today, about half of its solar capacity comes from our award- winning Green Invest program. The nation’s first renewable energy program that creates public-private partnerships, TVA connects large customers looking for clean energy with developers building large-scale solar projects.
As of July 2024, more than 2,000 megawatts of renewable PPAs have been matched to customers through the Green Invest Program.
Recognizing LPCs were looking to generate their own renewable energy, TVA started its Generation Flexibility program in 2020.
Under the program, LPCs who have a Long-Term Partnership Agreement with TVA can generate a portion of their total energy needs themselves. To date, most Flexibility projects under development have been solar, though the program also allows for wind, natural gas, batteries, and other carbon-free generation sources.
In 2023, TVA expanded this program to allow LPCs to generate up to 5% of their energy needs from distributed energy solutions built outside their service territory. At a maximum, the program could result in 2,000 megawatts of capacity
