WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today highlights critical steps Congress can take to improve the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA’s) transmission planning to make electricity service more affordable, reliable and resilient for customers. Produced by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) in partnership with the Southern Renewable Energy Association (SREA) and in collaboration with Paul Hastings LLP, the report outlines actionable recommendations to prepare TVA for growing energy demands, more frequent extreme weather events, and develop or purchase the lowest-cost generation.
This report is particularly timely as TVA conducts its legally mandated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) process, an undertaking that currently does not require inclusion of the transmission expansion options necessary to ensure procurement of the lowest-cost power options. Notably, the TVA service territory experienced rolling blackouts for the first time in its more than 90-year history during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, when the region’s power supply could not meet demand. An extra gigawatt of transmission ties to other regions could have saved TVA consumers up to $95 million during the storm.
