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December 2013 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is increasing the capacity of its renewable energy power purchase programs by 7 peercent over 2013, with a total capacity of 126 megawatts (MW) being offered. The increase in capacity is being spread across two of TVA's three power purchase programs — Green Power Providers, Solar Solutions Initiative, and the Renewable Standard Offer. The Green Power Providers program has 10 MW of available capacity for the development of small-scale solar, wind, biomass and hydro generation systems that are 50 kilowatts (kW) or less. Within the Green Power Providers program TVA has doubled the residential capacity from 2 MW to 4 MW and will be paying all power providers a total of 14¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The Solar Solutions Initiative program, which focuses on installations between 50 kW and 1 MW, has been expanded from 10 MW of capacity to 16 MW and now pays a premium of 6¢/kWh. TVA's third power purchase program, the Renewable Standard Offer continues to have 100 MW of available capacity for projects between 1 MW and 20 MW. Prior to these program expansions TVA's renewables portfolio consisted of 128 MW of operating or committed solar, 1,500 MW of wind, and 60 MW of biomass.
News Story -
TVA moves forward with Plans to Increase Solar Energy Capacity, Expand Renewable Programs
Additional Information -
2014 Green Power Providers Program
August 2013 - Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently obtained its first customer in Chattanooga, TN, for its new pilot program, Southeastern Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). BASF, a chemical company, has enrolled in the program with a commitment of purchasing enough Southeastern RECs to match 100% of the electricity consumed at its Polymer Drive facility. Southeastern RECs is an expansion to TVA's Green Power Switch Program, which BASF has participated in since 2009. The new program is a high-volume option for large customers; Southeastern RECs are sold in blocks of 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) with a minimum purchase of 2,000 MWh annually. Each block costs $3, or $0.003 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), whereas blocks in the original Green Power Switch program cost $4 for 150 kWh ($0.026/kWh). The new program is only a pilot, and is being monitored to determine if it should be extended longer or broadened to a larger market.
Press Release -
BASF becomes the first organization in Chattanooga to participate in Green Power Switch pilot program
Additional Information -
Tennessee Valley Authority Green Power Switch programs
December 2011 - Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dedicated two solar sites located in Huntsville, Alabama and Dyer, Tennessee, which began generating solar power in early December. The solar projects include a 23 kilowatt (kW) installation at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, and a 19.7 kW installation at Gibson County High School, located in Dyer. The solar installations will generate about 43 kW of renewable electricity for TVA's Green Power Switch program, which allows residents and businesses to purchase green power.
News Release -
TVA Increases Commitment to Renewable Energy with Solar Site Dedications
Contact:
Mike Bradley, 865-632-8860
November 2011 - Twenty-nine companies, organizations and individuals were recognized with national achievement awards at the Renewable Energy Markets 2011 Conference in San Francisco. The Green Power Leadership Awards recognize actions that are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources through renewable energy markets. The awards are presented by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS).
EPA's Partner of the Year awards went to the Empire State Building, Google Inc., Intel Corp., Kohl's Department Stores, and Staples. Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. were honored as Communities of the Year. 3Degrees and Washington Gas Energy Services were named Non-Utility Green Power Suppliers of the Year by DOE, and DTE Energy won for Utility Green Power Program of the Year. DOE also awarded the Clean Energy Collective the Innovative Green Power Program of the Year Award. CRS presented Tennessee Valley Campus Outreach Program the award for Best Green Power Education Outreach Program, New Leaf Paper, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Villanti & Sons, Printers Inc. the award for Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Purchaser. CRS also recognized Clean Currents for the Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Supplier and Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) as the Green Power Pioneer Award.
News Release -
Energy Department Recognizes Nation's Top Green Power Programs
News Release -
EPA Honors 19 Organizations for Leadership in Clean Energy
News Release -
Center for Resource Solutions Announces 2011 Green Power Leadership Award Winners
Additional Information -
Green Power Leadership Awards Announced November 16, 2011
January 2010 - Beaulieu Commercial, a carpet manufacturer, has contracted with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Sterling Planet to purchase wind energy equal to 100% percent of the organization's purchased electricity use nationwide. Under the agreement, the manufacturer will purchase 9 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates annually to meet the demand for manufacturing its Nexterra tile line. By participating in the Green-e Marketplace program, Beaulieu is able to display the Green-e logo on its Nexterra line and in corporate communications.
The company was honored with a 2009 Green Power Leadership Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
News Release - Beaulieu Commercial Recognized as Leaders in Green Energy
May 2005 - Governor Phil Bredesen announced plans for all state parks in Tennessee to purchase renewable energy, where available. Forty-four of the 54 state parks have access to green power through the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch program and have committed to collectively purchase nearly 2.1 million kWh annually. The combined park purchases will cost $55,152 annually but will be offset by more than $190,000 in expected savings achieved through energy efficiency measures, such as lighting and cooling improvements.
The State of Tennessee also purchases green power for the Executive Residence and state buildings in downtown Nashville. Supporting greater use of renewable energy was a recommendation of the Governor's Interagency Workgroup on Air Quality.
News Release - Bredesen Announces Tennessee State Parks to Purchase Green Power
January 2005 - The Tennessee Valley Authority has completed the expansion of its Buffalo Mountain Wind Park with the addition of 15, 1.8-MW wind turbines, bringing the total installed capacity to 29 MW. Three, 660-kW turbines have been in operation at the site since 2000.
TVA has contracted with developer Invenergy LLC to purchase the wind output for 20 years to supply its Green Power Switch renewable energy program, which has faced supply shortages in recent months. The Buffalo Mountain Wind Park is the largest wind installation in the Southeast.
News Article - TVA's expanded wind farm now generating power
June 2004 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is on track to add 27 MW of wind energy capacity to the resource mix of its Green Power Switch program. Invenergy Wind LLC announced that it has started construction on fifteen, 1.8-MW turbines at TVA's Buffalo Mountain wind site in Anderson County, Tennessee, where three, 660-kW turbines have been operating since 2000. TVA will receive the project output under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
News Release - Invenergy Closes Financing And Commences Construction On Buffalo
Mountain Wind Energy Center (PDF 12 KB)
January 2003 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to add 27 megawatts (MW) of wind energy capacity to the Buffalo Mountain wind park near Oliver Springs, Tennessee. Two megawatts of turbines are already operating at the site. The output of the new turbines will be added to the supply mix for TVA's Green Power Switch program through which customers can purchase 150-kWh blocks of green power for $4 per month. Currently, Green Power Switch is offered by 49 of TVA's distribution utilities.
Invenergy, a Chicago-based energy development company, will develop, construct, own, and operate the project addition, which is expected to be in operation by the end of the year.
News Release - TVA Will Expand Wind Power Site
News Article - TVA plans to add 18 windmills on Buffalo Mountain
TVA Contact: Gary Harris (615), 232-6124
November 2002 - In recent months, two new 30-kW solar systems have been installed under the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA's) Green Power Switch program. One system is installed at the Florence Water Treatment Facility in Alabama and the other at the intramural fields at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
TVA has now installed 13 solar systems totaling 326 kW of capacity to serve the green pricing program in which more than 5,900 residential customers and 280 business customers throughout the Tennessee Valley are currently participating.
News Release - Ole Miss Intramural Fields Become TVA Green Power Site
TVA Contact: Gary Harris (615) 232-6124
July 2002 - Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, the nation's 13th largest retailer, has become the largest purchaser of Green Power Switch, the renewable energy program offered by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and 46 distributors of TVA power across the Tennessee Valley. Lowe's green power purchases total about 3% of its monthly electrical use at the 32 stores where the green power product is currently available. The company is purchasing about 4.5 million kWh of green power annually for its stores but this figure is likely to increase as other TVA power distributors with Lowe's stores join the green power program.
News Release - Lowe's Is Largest Green Power Participant - No longer online at tva.com
TVA Contact: Garry Harris (615) 232-6124
May 2002 - Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist announced that all state buildings in Nashville, including the Governor's mansion, are obtaining a portion of their power from renewable sources, making Tennessee the first state government in the Southeast to purchase green power. The power is supplied by Nashville Electric Service through the utility's participation in the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch program, which utilizes wind, landfill-methane, and solar resources. The state's green power purchase amounts to 720,000 kWh per year for which it will pay an additional $19,000 annually.
Currently, more than 4,400 Tennessee residents and 220 businesses participate in Green Power Switch.
News Release - Governor Kicks Off Energy Policy; Signs Up State Buildings For Green Power - No longer online at www.state.tn.us
News Release - Tennessee the First Southeastern State to Buy Green Power - No longer online at cleanenergy.org
News Article - State buildings now using electricity generated by cleaner power sources - No longer online at tennessean.com
SACE Contact: Stephen Smith (865) 567-7429
February 2002 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has expanded its Green Power Switch program to include seven more distributors in eastern Tennessee, bringing the total number of utilities participating in the program to 19. Customers of the following utilities can now purchase green power: Bristol Tennessee Electric System, Johnson City Power Board, Lenoir City Utilities Board, Erwin Utilities, Morristown Power Systems, Mountain Electric Cooperative, and Appalachian Electric Cooperative.
Power for the program is currently supplied from three, 660-kW wind turbines, a 4.0-MW landfill methane project, and 250 kW of photovoltaics projects. TVA plans to add another 20 MW of wind power by October 2003. More than 4,900 customers are participating in the program.
News Article - Green Power Switch Keeps Growing
August 2000 - The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is installing three, 660-kilowatt wind turbines at a reclaimed strip mine site after being rebuffed at another site late last year. When operational this fall, the turbines will supply six million kWh annually for TVA's Green Power Switch pilot program. TVA is also installing solar photovoltaic facilities in the region and will be purchasing electricity from a new landfill methane project.
Customers of 12 TVA-supplied distribution utilities can purchase 150-kWh blocks of green power for an extra $4.00 per month. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, about 1,800 residential and 100 commercial customers have signed up for the program to date.
News Release - Wind-Turbine Construction Begins - No longer online at TVA.gov
News Article - Program to bring wind-powered generators to Tennessee - No longer online at tennessean.com
News Article - Solar panels at Finley to boost TVA green effort - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
TVA Contact: Susan Ross (423) 751-7405
June 2000 - The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) announced plans to purchase green power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to meet a portion of its electricity needs. Under the agreement, the laboratory will become one of the first industrial participants in TVA's Green Power Switch program. Under the program, customers can choose to purchase power generated from a mix of new wind, biomass, and solar resources in 150-kilowatt hour blocks for an extra $4 per month (about 2.7¢/kWh). ORNL will purchase 375 blocks, or 675,000 kWh annually, at an extra cost of $18,000 per year.
News Release - DOE, ORNL, TVA Sign Energy, Green Technology Agreements
Oak Ridge Contact: Marilyn Brown, (865) 576-8152
March 2000 - According to a March 28th article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) intends to offer its green pricing product to customers in 150-kWh blocks for a premium of $4 per month, or about 2.67¢/kWh. An average customer using 1,200 kWh per month would pay an extra $32 per month to receive all of their power from renewable energy. TVA will contract for a total of 8.7 MW of power from a combination of landfill methane and wind energy projects, and will install solar systems at public facilities. By the utility's estimate, this is enough power to supply 30,000 homes with one, 150-kWh block.
Eleven of TVA's 159 distributors, representing more than one-fourth of residential customers served with TVA power, signed up to test-market the green power to their customers during the first year. TVA hopes to expand the program to its entire seven-state region by 2003.
TVA is also seeking program accreditation from the Center for Resource Solutions. To be considered, utility programs must meet a series of stringent environmental and customer protection criteria, including use of new renewable resources. Utilities must also work with local stakeholder groups to develop the standards. According to a TVA representative, the utility is seeking accreditation because it "will enable TVA to enhance consumer confidence in our green power program."
News Article - TVA 'Green Power' Offered for Homes - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
News Article - TVA to begin 'green power' April 22 - Subscription required at KnoxNews.com
News Release - Renewable Energy Advocates and TVA Join Forces to Increase Green Power in the South
CRS Contact: Seth Baruch (415) 561-2100
TVA Contact: Susan Ross (423) 751-7405
December 1999 - Despite an initial setback (see 11/99) with a wind project site, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is moving forward with its green pricing pilot program. By the spring of 2000, TVA plans to obtain 3 MW to 6 MW of power from wind, solar or landfill-gas facilities that will be constructed in or near the TVA region. The green power will be test-marketed by 10 of TVA's distributors, which will offer the power to their customers at a premium of $2 to $10 per month. According to TVA, it has received several proposals to locate wind turbines at other sites.
For more information - TVA Green Power Page
News Article - NES to test market for 'green' electricity - No longer online at tennessean.com
News Article - TVA To Offer Green Power Alternative - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
November 1999 - According to recent articles in the Chattanooga Times/Free Press, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) plans to purchase power from three new wind turbines to supply a green pricing pilot program that the federally owned utility plans to initiate next year with 10 of its distributors. The distribution utilities plan to offer the power to their customers at a premium of between $2 and $10 per month.
However, initial plans to locate the turbines on land owned by Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, GA, just across the Tennessee border from Chattanooga, ran into significant opposition. Local residents expressed concerns about the noise and visual impacts of placing the wind turbines on the mountain. TVA plans to explore other sites in the Tennessee Valley.
News Article - Covenant Blows off Windmill Proposal - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
News Article - TVA's Clean Answer Is Blowing in the Wind - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
News Article - Windmills Stir Comment on Lookout - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
Times Editorial - TVA's Symbol in the Wind - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
Free Press Editorial - TVA's Windmills - Registration required at ChattanoogaNow
January 1998 - On January 28, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced that it will request competitive proposals for green power that it hopes to deliver to customers beginning in 2002. According to TVA, the amount of green power purchased will depend on the level of customer interest expressed. Up to 300 MW of green power could be added. The TVA RFP defines green power to include solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal. While existing resources will be considered, new renewable resources will be given preference.
TVA Contact: William Irish (423) 751-7994
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