Environmental News & Events

News Features

Read these TVA environmental news features below.

Green Power Switch Repeats Top-10 Performance
Sen. Alexander Hosts Clean-Air Forum
TVA Presents Environmental Awards
TVA Kicks Off Generation Partners Project
Report Shows Air Quality Improvement
Court Gives TVA New Source Review Victory
Federal Appeals Court Hears TVA-EPA Case
Soybean-Based Transformer Oil Will Be Tested

Green Power Switch Repeats Top-10 Performance

Green Power Switch energy is generated by wind, solar and methane-gas sources.

NREL’s rankings of leading utility “green pricing” programs are released annually. TVA placed seventh in renewable energy sales and ninth in total number of customer participants in the 2003 rankings.

TVA earned the same rankings last year, and in 2001 it placed eighth in the nation for the amount of new energy produced and 10th for the number of customers participating.

More than 500 utilities in 33 states now offer renewable-energy programs. Using information provided by these utilities, NREL develops top-10 rankings in the two categories listed above, plus two others, customer participation rate and price premium charged for new, customer-driven renewable power.

“The number of utility green-pricing programs continues to grow across the country, as does the number of customers that purchase green power,” says Lori Bird, Senior Energy Analyst at NREL. “Customer choice is proving to be a powerful stimulus for growth in renewable energy development.”

NREL says these utility-sponsored programs represent one segment of a larger green-power marketing industry that serves nearly 500,000 customers nationwide. More than 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy were sold through green-pricing programs. This is an increase of more than 30 percent from 2002.

Green Power Switch, currently offered by TVA and 66 distributors of TVA power, offers Tennessee Valley residents and businesses a choice in the type of power they buy. More than 7,000 residential consumers and more than 300 businesses have signed up for green power. (Read more about Green Power Switch, including information on how residential and commercial customers can sign up.)

NREL’s Energy Analysis Office performs analyses of green power market trends and is funded by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

NREL is a national laboratory managed by Midwest Research Institute and Battelle. The lab is a leading center for research into photovoltaics, wind energy, plant- and waste-derived fuels and chemicals, energy-efficient buildings, advanced vehicle design, geothermal energy, and hydrogen fuel cells. Read more about NREL.

Sen. Alexander Hosts Clean-Air Forum

Dec. 3, 2003 — U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee hosted a public forum in Knoxville yesterday to discuss air quality in Tennessee.

The forum was attended by an estimated 100-150 people. Invited speakers included Jim Renfro, Air Quality Specialist at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; Susan Whitaker, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; and Janice Nolen, Policy Director of the American Lung Association.

Alexander said the air in the Tennessee Valley, because of vehicle and coal-plant emissions, is unacceptable. There are problems associated with burning coal, he added, but there also are problems related to not burning it, since about 50 percent of the nation’s electricity depends on coal. He told those attending the forum that he favors a stronger national clean-air effort that employs advanced technology, including coal gasification, which he conceded is more expensive than burning coal.

Rather than burning coal directly, coal gasification mixes coal with steam and carefully controlled amounts of air or oxygen under high temperatures and pressures. The primary product is a fuel-grade coal-derived gas that can rival natural gas in environmental quality. Alexander wants TVA, in its role as a public-power producer of electricity, to be a leader in clean-coal technology.

John Shipp, TVA’s Vice President of Environmental Policy and Planning, says TVA has closely examined coal gasification, but it is not yet economical enough for TVA to consider. Restarting Unit 1 at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant is a better choice for TVA ratepayers, he says. Pursuing coal-gasification at this time would mean higher rates for Valley consumers to cover the development costs associated with the current state of the technology.

This was the second of two public clean-air forums hosted by Alexander. At the first one, held Nov. 17 in Nashville, discussions centered on the connection between clean air and jobs in Tennessee, the state’s compliance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, and how noncompliance can affect job growth. Several speakers at that meeting attributed the largest sources of pollution in the state to emissions from cars and trucks.

Read about TVA’s programs to control emissions from its coal-fired plants.

TVA Presents Environmental Awards
Nov. 5, 2003 — Allen Fossil Plant has won the TVA Environmental Excellence of the Year Award for its aggressive program to maximize power plant performance while reducing nitrogen oxide emissions, which contributes to the formation of ozone, as part of TVA’s clean air strategy.

Other environmental award winners are the Transmission Power Supply Process Improvement Team, Spencer Boardman, the Fuel Byproducts Team, the Green Power Switch Program, and the Resource Management and Wetlands and Water Quality Team. The awards are presented annually to a TVA individual, team, site, facility, or organization that has demonstrated exemplary environmental performance. Read the full news release.

TVA Kicks Off Generation Partners Project

The solar system, installed on a residence in Lenoir City, is designed to supply two kilowatts of power to the TVA system through the Green Power Switch® Generation Partners demonstration project. The Generation Partners project is offered by TVA and participating distributors of TVA power to support increased generation and use of green power in the Tennessee Valley.

Power purchased through the project will be made available to subscribers of Green Power Switch, a renewable energy program offered by TVA and more than 60 local power companies. Green Power Switch gives consumers the option of buying green power to supply a portion of the electricity used in their home or business.

In addition to being a power generating site, the Lenoir City home, owned by Adam Indrajaya and his wife, Lina Kinandjar, is a model for energy efficiency. The 1,057-square-foot home was built by Habitat for Humanity under the direction of the Department of Energy’s Building America program. Oak Ridge National Laboratory and two Building America teams designed and helped construct the house using advanced energy-efficiency construction techniques and renewable technologies to minimize energy requirements.

“We welcome Adam and Lina and their family as the first Green Power Switch Generation Partner in the Tennessee Valley,” said TVA Director Skila Harris, who also praised LCUB for being one of the first distributors to join the demonstration project. “Not only does LCUB provide the vital link between the solar generator and the TVA power grid, it provides the technical expertise to ensure that the green power is delivered effectively and safely.”

The GPS Generation Partners demonstration is open to new participants through December 31, 2005. Participants receive a credit on their power bill of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour for green power produced from qualifying solar or wind energy generation systems. Residential consumers may also be eligible for a one-time incentive payment of $500 from TVA for participation. Read more about the program.

Report Shows Air Quality Improvement
July 21, 2003 — A scientific report released by TVA shows that air quality in the east-central United States is good and getting better.

The report, “How Clean Is the Air?”, contains scientific data from the Environmental Protection Agency about air quality trends in the east-central United States from 1979 through 2002.

“This is the fourth ‘How Clean Is the Air?’ report that TVA has produced, and it shows that our efforts in reducing emissions, as well as the efforts of other businesses and industries, are having a positive impact on the environment,” says TVA environmental executive Kate Jackson. “TVA has set its course to help this trend continue, as evidenced by the $1 million a day we are spending through the end of this decade to reduce emissions from our coal plants.”

The EPA has set national air quality standards for six principal pollutants. These are health-based standards, and states must meet or attain these standards under the Clean Air Act. TVA’s report examines how the east-central United States is measuring up to the standards.

Scientific data in the report shows that total suspended particles in the air, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide have improved dramatically, with levels being 40 to 60 percent better than in previous years. There have been some reductions in ozone levels, with nitrogen oxides improving by 20 to 30 percent. Because ozone formation is dependent on the weather, the report says, there will always be some years that are better than others, but the trend in the Valley shows improvement.

Two areas—Atlanta and Birmingham—are the only places in the study area that do not currently meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone.

Fine particles that are 10 microns in diameter or less (100 microns is the width of a human hair) have been reduced. However particles less than 2.5 microns are expected to be a concern in coming years.

Visibility impairment, often a concern in national parks, has neither improved nor declined, but is expected to get better as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions are reduced.

Of major concern is indoor air pollution, with levels of pollutants being much higher than what is found outdoors. Indoor air quality is impacted by natural gas use, cleaning solvents, paints, and other products and can have a much greater health risk than outdoor air pollution, the report concludes.

The report also covers lead and such issues as acid deposition, toxic air pollutants, and global climate change. The report is available on the Environmental Reports page.

Court Gives TVA New Source Review Victory

July 1, 2003 — The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta has issued a decision that the Environmental Protection Agency used an unfair process when EPA determined TVA had been violating Clean Air Act requirements while maintaining its plants.

TVA had challenged the EPA’s reinterpretation of the 1977 New Source Review rule. EPA had issued an administrative order to TVA and sued seven other utilities to enforce the Clean Air Act’s NSR rule as EPA had newly interpreted it.

The June 24 decision by the court allows TVA to continue to maintain its plants in order to provide affordable, reliable power to its customers while reducing emissions at its plants.“New Source Review is not about whether TVA should or will reduce its emissions,” says John Shipp, TVA’s Environmental Policy and Planning Vice President. “We have been reducing our emissions and will continue to do so. NSR is about whether we can continue to operate our plants safely and reliably.”

TVA has already spent more than $3 billion to reduce emissions at its plants and is in the process of spending another $2.6 billion on additional emission reductions. “We appreciate the support of our power customers in this long dispute with EPA,” says Shipp. “Their support and the support of Southern Co. and Duke Energy have contributed greatly to the outcome.”

Read background information about the New Source Review case.

Federal Appeals Court Hears TVA-EPA Case

May 22, 2002 — In a TVA lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, attorneys for each side stated their positions yesterday before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. TVA is challenging EPA’s reinterpretation in 1999 of the 1977 New Source Review rule.

That was when the government issued an administrative order to TVA and sued seven other utilities to enforce the Clean Air Act's NSR rule as EPA had newly interpreted it.

Under the reinterpretation, maintenance projects utilities previously considered routine at their coal-fired plants are now regarded by EPA as major modifications. That would require the installation of additional emission controls.

Utilities now would have to obtain NSR permits every time they conduct these routine maintenance and replacement projects at their plants. This will cause utilities to constantly re-permit their plants year after year. Rather than immediately fixing plants that suddenly break down, utilities would have to first obtain permits from EPA or the state to perform the work, a process that typically takes at least nine months and can take several years.

TVA has analyzed the potential impact of this new interpretation of the old rule on its ability to generate power. It would mean an immediate loss of more than 10 percent of TVA’s generating capabilities or more than 12 million megawatt-hours per year from its coal-fired power plants. This is enough electricity to provide power to 800,000 homes in the Tennessee Valley.

The longer-term impact could be much more severe for TVA and other utilities. TVA would lose more than 30 percent of its coal-fired generating capabilities or more than 34 million megawatt-hours per year. This is equal to the energy used by 2.3 million homes in the Tennessee Valley. TVA would have to build ten 500-megawatt power plants to make up this loss.

With these losses TVA might not be able to supply the power needs of the Tennessee Valley as it has done for the past 68 years. Because utilities throughout the country would suffer similar losses, everyone could be facing energy shortages.

The reasons for TVA’s suit against EPA

For more than two decades, the New Source Review program has allowed utilities to routinely maintain and replace power-plant equipment. These maintenance practices, which are common throughout the utility industry, are critical to the safe, reliable and efficient operation of these plants.

In the late 1990s, EPA reinterpreted key provisions of the NSR program andbegan saying that 80-90 percent of the utility industry had been violating the NSR program for more than 20 years due to their maintenance practices. This also means the utilities were violating Clean Air Act requirements.

TVA does not agree with this new interpretation or reinterpretation. Over the past 20 years, EPA has inspected many TVA plants and never has cited TVA for an NSR violation. TVA plants meet all Clean Air Act requirements.

The safety of its employees and the people it serves is an overriding priorityfor TVA, which by 2010 will have spent $5 billion to reduce emissions from its coal-fired plants.
After failing to reach agreement with EPA on the issue, TVA in May 2000 filed its suit in the federal appeals court. A decision is expected before the end of the calendar year.
Here are other key points in TVA’s position on NSR:

• The NSR enforcement proceeding is not about protecting the health ofchildren or improving air quality. It is about how the NSR program is interpreted and applied.
• EPA’s own regulations presently exclude from the NSR program repairs and equipment replacement on units that increase efficiency and reliability.
• EPA’s NSR reinterpretation could keep plants out of service for monthsor years at a time, including during peak-demand periods when all generating units have to be run to keep the lights on.
• TVA encourages EPA and the Administration to return to the historical and common understanding of the scope of the NSR program. After this, EPA and utilities can address what additional efforts should be made to further reduce air emissions.
• TVA meets all health-based standards of the Clean Air Act and is not grandfathered or exempt from any of those requirements.
• TVA agrees that it must continue to help improve air quality in the Tennessee Valley. But it does not agree with the means EPA wants to use to reduce utility emissions.
• TVA has developed a sound strategy that will reduce nitrogen oxides by 70-75 percent during the ozone season and sulfur dioxide by about 80 percent by 2005, while continuing to provide low-cost, reliable electricity to more than eight million consumers in the Tennessee Valley region. TVA has already spent about $3 billion and through the end of this decade will spend almost $1 million a day to reduce emissions, bringing total expenditures for emissions reductions to $5 billion.

Soybean-Based Transformer Oil Will Be Tested

March 5 , 2002 — TVA and the Nashville Electric Service will conduct a two-year test of electrical transformers containing BioTrans™ , an environmentally friendly soybean-based oil.

The electric utility industry relies largely on petroleum-based oils for use in electric systems. Oil in transformers and other transmission equipment serves as a coolant to remove heat from wires that carry electric current. The new oil is more readily biodegradable in soil, making it less harmful to the environment than petroleum products in the event of accidental spills or leaks.

NES, the second largest distributor of TVA power, has installed six transformers at the Cleveland Hall residential development in Hermitage to compare the performance of the two types of oil. “Three of the transformers are filled with BioTrans and three are filled with a petroleum mineral oil,” said Robert Helbig, senior engineer at NES. “Side-by-side comparisons will help us determine how well the soybean-based oil performs in our area.”

Transformers contain two or more coils of wire to change the voltage of electricity. The coils are submerged in cooling oil, which must not conduct electricity and must be stable over a wide range of operating temperatures.

Using a grant from the American Public Power Association, Waverly Light and Power in Iowa developed and patented the soybean oil technology. Funding provided by TVA’s Public Power Institute led to further improvements. Electric Research and Manufacturing Cooperative Inc. manufactures the transformers in Dyersburg, Tennessee.