TVA, Community Leaders Fire Up Future at Kemper Site
October 23, 2002
DEKALB, Miss. — TVA’s newest generating units began operating this summer in Kemper County, Mississippi, helping supply power during periods of peak demand and bolstering TVA’s ability to ensure that its customers have affordable, reliable power at all times.
TVA officials and local leaders were on hand today to dedicate the Kemper Combustion Turbine site in DeKalb. The four combustion turbine units at the site are designed to start quickly and are operated on an as-needed basis, providing power during periods of high consumer demand.
Economic growth in the seven-state region served by TVA has increased demand for electric power by almost 3 percent a year, more than earlier projections and about 1.5 times the national growth rate.
“While power demand grew faster than expected, our long-term planning and the excellent performance of TVA employees have allowed us to provide a reliable power supply without interruptions, keeping the region’s economy moving forward,” TVA Chairman Glenn McCullough Jr. said.
“TVA’s strategy of investing in a balanced portfolio of energy sources is consistent with the national energy policy of having a diverse energy mix, and minimizes risks associated with over-dependence on a single energy source,” McCullough said.
TVA’s combustion turbines operate primarily on natural gas but can burn fuel oil, adding to the flexibility of the power system, which also includes hydro, coal, and nuclear plants.
Each unit at the Kemper plant was manufactured by General Electric and has a rating of 85 megawatts, for a plant total of 340 megawatts. While the units are used primarily as peaking units, the Kemper plant has the capacity to produce enough electricity to power approximately 200,000 homes.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power producer, and its power system is self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve 8.3 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact:
Amy Tate, Starkville, MS (662-338-3999) or TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865-632-6000)
