TVA, EPA Settlement Leads to Coal Retirements
Knoxville, Tenn. (April 14, 2011) – The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) today announced a historic settlement with the U.S. EPA over Clean Air Act violations. TVA has agreed to close 2700 MW of coal plants, including all ten units at Johnsonville, units 1-6 at Widows Creek and units 1-2 at John Sevier, by 2018.
Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Executive Director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and a member of TVA’s Integrated Resource Planning Advisory Group said, “We applaud the settlement reached between TVA, EPA and other parties leading to the retirement of 2700 MW of coal plants in the Tennessee Valley. This is particularly good news, because Johnsonville and Widows Creek were oldest, dirtiest and least efficient plants in TVA’s coal fleet.”
The settlement also calls for more than a dozen additional coal units to receive sulfur-dioxide scrubbers by 2018.
Additional terms of the settlement include a total investment of $350 million by TVA in Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee on clean air projects.
The terms of the settlement between the EPA and TVA is available on the EPA’s website. # # # Southern Alliance for Clean Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible energy choices that create global warming solutions and ensure clean, safe, and healthy communities throughout the Southeast.www.cleanenergy.org