TVA Today:
Daily news for employees

Monday, September 29, 2003

Power Flow Heavily Dependent on Water Flow
As important as water quantity is to economics and lifestyles of the Tennessee Valley, it is especially vital to the economics of TVA’s power operations.

“TVA depends on the integrated operation of the river and power systems to maximize overall value to the region,” says Janet Herrin, Senior Vice President of River Operations.

“Most people think the value of water to TVA comes primarily from the 10 percent of power generated by the hydro plants. While it’s true hydro generation is a low-cost source of electricity, a closer look reveals the river system also has the potential to impact the delivered cost of power for our customers in a number of other ways.”

One of those is river scheduling.

“Along with meeting environmental and other commitments, the hydro system is scheduled and used for peaking power, when the value of power typically is at its highest,” Herrin says.

“Having this peaking-power flexibility available from the river system is extremely important to the efficient operation of the power system.”

Besides normal hydro generation and peak-power benefits, the river system provides cooling water to six of TVA’s coal-fired plants and all three nuclear plants, which together provided about 70-75 percent of TVA’s generation last year.

“Huge quantities of water flow through the plants,” Herrin says. “Without the river system as a source of cooling water, the delivered cost of power could be impacted significantly because of plant shutdowns, deratings, external power purchases or plant modifications that would be required.”

TVA’s hydro units also are used for a number of ancillary services to ensure power-system reliability.

“Because of the rapid response time of hydro units, they are used for load following — the process of adjusting generation to meet demand — and for system stabilization,” Herrin says.

“Without the ability of the hydro system to provide overall power-system reliability, TVA would have to turn to more expensive means that would add a significant amount annually to the delivered cost of power.

“The bottom line is that how we manage the water resources from a quantity standpoint has the potential to greatly impact all 8.3 million or so TVA customers in the power service area, not just those living in the watershed.”

Knoxville Tech Society Meeting Today
The Technical Society of Knoxville will have a luncheon meeting at 11:30 a.m. today at the Radisson Summit Hill in Knoxville.

Tom Rogers, President & Chief Executive Officer of Technology 2020 in Oak Ridge, will speak on technology-based economic development in Tennessee.

Guests are welcome. Lunch is optional and is available to members and guests for $10, which includes free parking at the hotel. For more information, call Peter Scheffler at 632-8040 or Phil Dodson at 632-6535.

Chattanooga-Area Tennessee River Rescue This Saturday
TVA’s Chickamauga-Nickajack Watershed Team is helping recruit volunteers for the 2003 Tennessee River Rescue scheduled for 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, in the Chattanooga area.

The annual effort to clean up area streams and shorelines around Chickamauga and Nickajack reservoirs is supported by many area businesses and organizations.

Garbage bags will be provided at all sites for those who want to help. Early volunteers will receive a T-shirt, and everyone will receive free beverages and a certificate of appreciation.

Volunteers should be prepared to get wet and dirty and are encouraged to wear old clothes and footwear, gloves, sunscreen and bug spray.

To sign up or for information on specific cleanup sites, call Evan Crews at 423-876-4095 or e-mail him.