TVA Board Approves Contract To Supply Power to Bristol Virginia Utilities
September 29, 2006
ROCK SPRING, Ga. -- The TVA Board today approved a 20-year agreement to begin in January 2008 supplying power to Bristol Virginia Utilities, which selected TVA as the power supplier offering the greatest value to its customers.
After a lengthy evaluation of bids from other utilities, the Bristol Virginia Utilities Board voted Sept. 22 to accept TVA’s offer to supply power to serve the utility’s more than 16,000 customers in Bristol, Va., and portions of Washington and Scott counties in Virginia. TVA responded to a BVU request for proposals in 2005 for a power supply contract. TVA’s ability to offer stable, reliable and competitively priced power helped Bristol make its final decision to renew its relationship with TVA after leaving the system in 1998.
“TVA looks forward to a long relationship with Bristol Virginia Utilities as we work together to provide competitively priced power and reliable service to Bristol’s customers,” said TVA Chairman Bill Sansom following the Board vote to approve the contract at a meeting in Rock Spring, Ga. “TVA is delighted to have Bristol back as a customer and pleased that TVA was selected after a comprehensive review of offers from other power suppliers.”
BVU officials cited TVA’s outstanding reputation, its long track record of providing affordable, reliable electricity and its economic development support for communities served by TVA. The contract terms call for a 20-year agreement at rates calculated to recover the cost of integrating BVU into TVA’s power supply plan and serving its customer load.
In other action at the Board meeting, the TVA Board Community Relations Committee presented a draft TVA Land Policy for review by the Board and the public. The committee developed the proposed policy after holding a public hearing and receiving extensive public input.
The proposed land policy was developed to ensure that the use of TVA reservoir land provides the overall greatest public value. Key points of the proposed policy include:
- TVA will continue to develop reservoir land management plans with substantial public input and approval from the Board.
- Public lands managed by TVA will not be allocated or sold for residential, retail or other non-industrial commercial uses.
- In keeping with TVA’s economic development mission, public lands managed by TVA will be sold for industrial purposes only if the property is located in an existing industrial park, or the land is designated for industrial purposes in a reservoir land management plan and the manufacturing businesses require water access.
- TVA will continue to lease and grant easements for commercial recreation or public recreation purposes if the property is allocated for that use in the reservoir land management plan.
- TVA will modify deed restrictions pertaining to flowage rights only where the rights are no longer needed for river operation purposes. No other deed restriction modifications will be considered.
- TVA’s non-reservoir property--primarily power and commercial properties and mineral holdings--will continue to be managed as power assets, and decisions regarding disposal will be based on business considerations.
The draft policy is available on TVA’s website. A 30-day comment period will begin Oct. 2 and extend through Nov. 3. Comments may be submitted by email to landpolicyhearing@tva.gov; by mail to TVA Board Community Relations, Land Policy, 400 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville, TN 37902-1499; by phone at 888-882-7675 toll-free; or by fax at (865) 632-3146.
The Community Relations Committee anticipates presenting a final recommendation for TVA Board consideration in November.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.
Media Contact
Barbara Martocci, (865) 632-8632
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
