Tennessee Valley Authority

Writing 'The Power Brokers'

Jeremiah D. Lambert, a lawyer in Washington, D.C., has served PJM and other clients in the electric utility industry and has written extensively on energy-related topics.

In “The Power Brokers: The Struggle to Shape and Control the Electric Power Industry,” I sought to craft a narrative, telling the story of an essential bedrock business through the players who influenced its course.

An Industry Transformed

Looking back on my 45 years in the energy sector.

By diving into today’s more diverse energy sector and embracing change, utilities stand to benefit over the long term. This is precisely why I am so excited about the future, even if I do occasionally look back wistfully on the past.

People (July 2015)

OGE Energy chairman and CEO Pete Delaney stepped down from the CEO position to become the interim CEO of Enable Midstream Partners. In response, OGE named current president Sean Trauschke, as CEO. PJM Interconnection elected Terry Blackwell to the PJM board. Chesapeake Utilities appointed John R. Schimkaitis to serve as chairman of the board. Paul D. Koonce adds the role of president-Dominion Virginia Power to his responsibilities. And others...

Google Chooses TVA Site for Next Data Center

Google chose Tennessee Valley Authority's Widows Creek soon-to-be retired coal plant site in North Alabama to build its newest data center. TVA's board of directors approved the closure of Widows Creek earlier this year following EPA's release of coal combustion rules requiring additional environmental and financial requirements. Google will invest $600 million in this project and will bring jobs to northern Alabama and the TVA region.

GE to Replace TVA’s Coal Units with Cleaner, High-Efficiency H-Class Gas Turbines

GE received an order from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to supply two high-efficiency 7HA.02 gas turbine generators for the new combined-cycle Allen plant. The new plant will replace three coal-fired units that are being retired as TVA works toward a December 2018 deadline from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce coal emissions. The TVA Allen plant will have the capacity to generate 1,000 MW of power in combined-cycle mode, the equivalent power that would be needed to supply 1 million U.S. homes.

Tennessee Valley Authority and DuPont to Continue Cogeneration Partnership at Johnsonville

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and DuPont partnered to generate power and steam at TVA's Johnsonville site in Humphreys County, Tenn. The two companies recently agreed on a plan to convert an existing, limited-use combustion turbine at Johnsonville into a highly efficient combined heat and power, or CHP, plant. With TVA retiring the last four coal-fired units at Johnsonville by the end of 2017 under its clean-air agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, a new steam source had to be found.

AREVA Wins Contract from DOE to Develop Enhanced Accident Tolerant Fuel

AREVA Federal Services (AFS), an AREVA subsidiary in the United States, was awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to continue the development of next generation fuel for light water nuclear reactors. This program aims to develop enhanced accident tolerant fuel (EATF), a fuel that is more resistant under severe accident conditions, particularly those involving a loss of cooling. The AREVA-led team, comprising the U.S.

Digest (July 2014)

Austin Energy awards Recurrent Energy a contract for Texas' largest solar power plant; Indianapolis Power & Light receives approval from IURC to invest $600 million in gas turbine power station; Tucson Electric Power to purchase solar power from Avalon Solar Project; Xcel Energy and SunPower sign a PPA for a 50-MW solar plant in Colorado; American Electric Power plans to replace existing wire on transmission line running from Ohio to West Virginia; Midcontinent ISO amends its tariff to allow for short-term variations in net load requirements; FERC approves ISO New England's "Pay-for-Performance" plan.

Dominion Acquires Two Largest Solar Projects in Tennessee

Dominion acquired two stand-alone solar energy developments in southwest Tennessee, currently in late stage development by Strata Solar of Chapel Hill, N.C. All power and environmental attributes from both projects will be purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under their renewable standard offer program. Interconnection to the electric grid will take place through facilities owned and operated by Pickwick Electric Cooperative of Selmer, TN.

In the Crosshairs

Protecting substations and transformers after the PG&E Metcalf attack.

The latest fallout from the April 2013 Metcalf incident: the unprecedented assault with high-powered rifles on PG&E’s Metcalf substation, in Silicon Valley, which disabled 17 of 20 large transformers.