What does personal power production mean for our energy future?
How will energy usage change in the next 20 years in the Tennessee Valley? Good question. It’s one that Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is asking the public as it puts together its 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
My advice: Move to renewable energy sources as quickly as possible and close all coal-fired and nuclear power plants thereby improving the environment and helping slow climate change. Oh, and plant some trees too as was suggested by a speaker at the last TVA Board meeting.
Every few years TVA considers what the future might look like cooking up several alternatives based on possible scenarios. For example, TVA asks how to position itself if there’s a recession, unforeseen government regulations, or a drought? We already know that demand for electricity is down and staying flat. We know too that the IRP process requires an environmental impact statement.
Currently a scoping process ends April 16. Scoping means TVA must determine what environmental issues should be addressed as part of the environmental impact study. In past IRPs, the scope of study has not included climate change impacts or consequences of small daily nuclear releases on public health.
What about a dam break or another coal ash spill? Shouldn’t there be analysis comparing air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste from coal, gas, and nuclear plants to those if we got our electricity from 100% renewable sources?
TVA is a huge centralized generator of electricity with nine million customers in parts of seven states. They send electricity to you via your local utility. But what if you sent electricity to them for purchase with your rooftop solar panels or small hydro wheel? What if you made your own electricity for your use and didn’t sell it to TVA?
That’s distributed energy. If everyone produced electricity, TVA would be out of the generating business.
Naturally TVA considers that a humongous threat. If more and more customers make use of distributed energy, what does that mean for TVA income and costs to those still on the centralized grid? A TVA fact sheet states that the IRP 2019 will seek to answer how distributed energy resources should be considered in TVA planning.
TVA has also stated that IRP 2019 goals are to improve understanding of the impact and benefit of system flexibility with increasing renewable and distributed resources while determining the implications of a diverse portfolio mix for the next 20 years. Given current lack of transparency, past history, and recent actions, pro-environment folks are not convinced that TVA really wants to embrace renewables and distributed energy.
Examples: Kicking some environmental organization representatives off working groups; Refusing to work with Clean Line that offered TVA 3500 megawatts of wind energy at a cheaper rate per kilowatt hour; upgrading Browns Ferry nuclear plants to use high burnup fuel to increase nuclear percentage of TVA power to 40 percent; capping solar energy installation support for businesses and homes; Planning to shift variable costs to fixed costs for residential customers thereby cutting off distributed energy and efficiency choices; Not following the last IRP energy efficiency determinations.
This is PUBLIC power. As an owner you can make recommendations by searching for TVA website 2019 Integrated Resource Plan. See contacts there, get to a comment page and sign up for e-mail updates.
TVA is supposed to provide the lowest possible rates for people in the Valley. Your electricity sources are dependent on TVA’s decisions because you can’t choose another generator/utility. Other southeastern utilities are already incorporating renewables.
TVA should be leading. After scoping is determined, there will be opportunities to have public input and draft plan review. Speak up.
BIRD NOTE: Since this is the year of the bird and many are considering spring plantings, the National Audubon Society has provided a Plant Database that will provide you with plants for this area coupled with the bird species that will benefit. Learn more at audubon.org/native-plants
Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net