HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Hopkinsville hosted the quarterly meeting of the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors on Feb. 11, with crucial decisions made about utilizing coal power in the region. The TVA operates the nation’s largest public power system and supplies power in portions of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and other areas in the region.
While board members were in the city, a public listening session was held prior to the meeting, allowing residents to engage directly with officials. Christian County Judge Executive Jerry Gilliam said that the decision to hold the meeting here was an honor.
TVA decides to keep nearby Cumberland Fossil Plant open
During the meeting at The Bruce, the TVA Board of Directors ultimately voted to take steps toward continued operation of the Kingston and Cumberland Fossil Plants beyond previously scheduled retirement dates, according to a news release. It was determined that this move aligns with the administration’s energy dominance strategy to prioritize domestic energy production.
News affiliate Clarksville Now previously reported that TVA’s plan had initially been to shutter the high-pollution Fossil Plant, or “steam plant,” which is located southwest of nearby Clarksville, Tennessee. The plant in question uses coal to create energy and has been in operation since 1973. At this time, there are close to 1,900 workers employed at the Fossil Plant, which includes 247 TVA staff members and just over 450 subcontractors.
Based on this decision, the Cumberland Fossil Plant will provide power alongside the new Natural Gas Plant that is being built outside of Clarksville. The gas facility will provide 1,450 megawatts of power – enough to power 840,000 homes. If the Fossil Plant stays online, with its 2,500 megawatts, that will total almost 4,000 megawatts of power coming from the Cumberland City TVA site.
Data centers, including the Google Data Center at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Park, are now making up 18% of TVA’s industrial load, and that number is rising, with power-intensive AI use being a factor in that rising demand.
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Pollution concerns, TVA comments
Clarksville Now reports that the fossil power has come at a price in terms of pollution. In 2016, the Cumberland Fossil Plant ranked as the No. 3 air polluter in the nation, with a combination of greenhouse gases and Toxics Release Inventory emissions, and the worst mercury polluter in the country among coal-fired power plants, according to Leaf-Chronicle archives.
“TVA is building America’s energy future while keeping the lights on today,” said Don Moul, TVA President and CEO in a news release. “Our mission is clear: provide reliable, affordable power for the 10 million people we serve. Taking steps to continue operations at Cumberland and Kingston and completing new generation under construction are essential to meet surging demand and power our region’s growing economy.”
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, coal generation increased 31% during Winter Storm Fern – accounting for 21% of U.S. power output – while solar, wind and hydropower dropped significantly. TVA says coal fleet reliably delivered 14% of the region’s power during peak demand on January 27, ensuring reliability when it mattered most.
Chris Smith contributed to this article.
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