Congress should reform Tennessee Valley authorities’ governance and energy plans as federally owned utilities face growing demand for electricity, a renewable energy organization released Thursday. It is stated in the book.

Jonathan Geldoff, senior manager of the American Council on Renewable Energy, who prepared the report, said in a presentation Thursday that the TVA is different from other utilities. TVA is a federal corporation appointed by the president and overseen by a board of directors confirmed by the US Senate. This, in contrast to other state utilities, requires that the state’s Utilities Commission be requested to approve new generation or receive a review of future electricity plans.

Like other utilities, TVA is facing a growing demand for electricity due to data centers, new battery manufacturing and consumer electrification. A utility that serves more than 9 million people in seven states, including Kentucky, at the beginning of January Set a new power demand record Over 35,000 megawatts in the extremely cold air sweeping south.

The utility touts hundreds of millions of dollars spent on power plants to increase reliability and resilience in 2024. Fossil fuel-fired power plant breakdown. The utility had to borrow some of its electricity from nearby electric grids to meet record electricity demand in January, and asked its customers to voluntarily cut electricity.

Geldof said that electricity demand is coming at a time when utility companies may need to ask Congress to increase their ability to borrow funds.

“If they raise borrowing institutions, it needs to be combined with some requirements to improve TVA’s functionality for customers and project developers,” Geldof said. “Our point here is not to bash TVA, but to point out how the process can improve and make cheap American-made power easier in the valley.”

Report on 33 pages Incorporated by Congress to provide more support for TVA boards, bring TVA under federal surveillance for transmission, and modify the process of utility for drafting key planning documents called integrated resource plans or IRPs It highlights many reforms that could be made.

TVA spokesman Scott Fiedler said in an email statement that the utility was not asked to provide data or input to the report, and that the utility “using industry best practices, including public participation.” “We are implementing a transparent and robust IRP process.” ” Fiedler said the final IRP from the utility will be available in the spring.

From sending plan to TVA board

A panel discussing the report consisting of two other representatives of Nashville-based solar developer Silicon Ranch and a trade and advocacy group and two representatives of renewable energy, TVA said in a statement that Became a report recommendations to change how you plan your submissions. This is a planning process that, according to the report, historically “has “has no meaningful stakeholder participation and lacked transparency.”

Myra Sinnott, vice president of Silicon Ranch Interconnect and Policy, has a “closed door” process when planning future generation and transmission, and the result is that “the room that many people are trying to offer” “We’ve left many people out there.” Feedback on future resources that will affect electricity bills, air and water quality around Tennessee Valley. ”

According to the report, Congress says it needs to be considered by TVA. The full range of costs and profits When planning your submissions and generations – it’s not just about whether your investment offers or not “Adequate and reliable service.”

Given multiple factors, power grids become more reliable as solar and other renewable energy projects are offered online and power is sent to the grid.

The TVA should also be placed under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the report states: Federal overhaul of transmission plans. The TVA also needs to consider more transmissions between local power grids to avoid rolling blackouts, the report said.

“More interregional transmission will be needed to prevent power outages in extreme weather and meet expected load growth,” Geldoff said.

Additionally, the report recommends that Congress may have independent staff at TVA or hire consultants.

In the southeast, dominated by large utilities, the real electricity market is demanding sustainability

Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, said the TVA board, which consists of part-time positions, does not have an independent third party to confirm the information provided by TVA staff . In contrast, utilities under state regulations are subject to expert scrutiny and questioning by Utilities Commission staff.

“These state regulators can often have interveners like us coming to provide staff and expertise as well as additional feedback and information for free to the regulators themselves. There are rules and regulations that make it,” Mahan said. “It’s not that we’re criticizing the board for making bad decisions. It’s like, ‘Is this really the best decision at this right time?’

When asked about the impact the Trump administration has on its energy plans, one renewable energy advocate pointed to the risks that TVA could face with “increasing confidence” in natural gas. TVA has proposed large investments in the construction of a new natural gas fired power plant to replace coal fired power plants at once When increasing natural gas exports overseas It could put a strain on the country’s supply of fossil fuels.

“The country is increasing the exports of gas that raises gas prices and will really, really hit TVA customers very seriously,” said Maggie Schauber, research director at Clean Energy’s Southern Alliance.

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