Tennessee Valley Authority to install solar sites in Alabama, Tennessee
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will develop two large solar installations in Tennessee and Alabama as part of an agreement with Facebook to support its data center in Huntsville, Ala., with 100 percent renewable energy.
The solar installations will produce 150 and 227 megawatts of solar energy in Tennessee and Alabama, respectively.
“TVA’s commitment to the environment and our diverse portfolio are among the top reasons why businesses choose to relocate to the Valley,” John Bradley, TVA’s senior vice president of Economic Development, said. “TVA’s ability to deliver large amounts of renewable, reliable energy at competitive rates makes the Valley an attractive place to do business and recruit quality jobs.”
TVA issued a Request for Proposals in 2017 seeking bids from renewable energy developers as part of a partnership with Facebook. The partnership aligns the core values of TVA’s public power model with Facebook’s mission to support all of its data centers and offices with 100 percent renewable energy by 2020.
“We are committed to supporting our operations with 100 percent renewable energy and look to partner with organizations like TVA who offer solutions to help meet that goal,” Bryce Dalley, energy manager at Facebook, said. “TVA has been a great, responsive partner, and we are looking forward to being a part of the community in Huntsville.”
TVA is planning to invest about $8 billion in renewable energy over the next 20 years.
“Solar power has a bright future for families in the Tennessee Valley if we can continue to attract top-tier companies like Facebook,” Doug Perry, TVA vice president of Commercial Energy Solutions, said.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for businesses and local power companies in parts of seven southeastern states.
