Environmentalists suggests 'do business differently'

Environmentalists suggests 'do business differently'

TVA hit by
GAO report

By CLINT COFFMAN
Senior Staff Reporter of The Review
Appeal (Franklin, Tenn.)

"We need to do business differently."

John Noel, a founder of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, explains in a variety of ways, but seated at a high school cafeteria table one night recently, the man -- leader of his own investment firm and known in downtown Franklin for restoration of brick buildings -- is talking about the Tennessee Valley Authority.

He starts with the Government Accounting Office.

The GAO -- mentioned by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) when he chided the TVA about a prospective rate hike -- is the "gold standard" when it comes to financial analysis, Noel said.

"The GAO report in March 2002 says the absolute opposite of what TVA says they're doing. TVA's EA (Environmental Assessment) says TVA leads the industry in wise use of electricity. The GAO report says TVA is the opposite. They continue to do little to moderate demand."

A few days later, after the TVA public meeting at Franklin High School, several people speaking in a coalition of opponents to TVA's route for power lines to the west of Franklin, complained to Franklin's Board of Mayor and Aldermen that TVA is really interested in generating power demand. It's in the business of selling electricity, they argue.

A few weeks earlier, at a ribbon-cutting in Cool Springs, Congressman Cooper chided TVA for its prospective rate increase for residential customers. He, too, noted the GAO report, but was at an event to recognize a $1.5 billion air pollution control contract awarded to a joint effort by two companies. Scrubbers are to be installed at TVA's coal-fired power plants to prevent air pollution.

TVA has said the $15 billion contract is one reason for a rate increase. Another, noted by Cooper, is large debt left from TVA's nuclear energy program.

Historically, Noel says, "TVA has had cheap energy, but how cheap is cheap?"

Noel cites the effects of air pollution on human lungs, especially young children whose development may be stunted. It can reduce life expectancy, he says. There's deterioration of property; roofs, awnings, paint on cars -- damaged by acid rain.

"The rain in the Smoky Mountains has been analyzed as having the pH of vinegar's acidity," he said. "The primary ingredient is from the burning of coal. All of this means we have to do this better, with an alternative use of energy, and pushing power lines is bad business."

As part of a coalition opposing TVA's power lines' route to the west of town, environmentalists have advocated underground power lines.

The wires are to energize a substation planned by Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp., and MTEMC's spokesmen have said underground wires for high-voltage transmission lines cost seven times what wires hung from poles cost.

"What's not being told is that the cost is relative to what's underground, whether it's rock or dirt, and maintenance is considerably less," Noel says. "You don't have to maintain underground lines as much, or trim trees."

While much of Middle Tennessee is known for rocky land, Noel says soil west of Franklin isn't so hard.

MTEMC's reaction is that while Noel may be right about an entire system with underground wires, having only a small section such as what's requested west of town will not bring the savings, so the investment would be too great.

Noel compliments TVA aquatic studies and that the information has been shared, but he points out that clearing TVA power lines' rights of way have cause environmental damage.

"When you remove natural growth, you subject it to erosion," he said. "We need to do business differently."