Tennessee Valley Authority releases final Integrated Resource Plan

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently released its final Integrated Resource Plan and associated Environmental Impact Statement.

“The 2019 IRP emphasizes the importance of flexibility in our generation in response to the changing energy marketplace,” Laura Campbell, TVA vice president of Enterprise Planning, said. “TVA looked at a wide range of possible futures, and flexibility is important in every case to ensure a reliable power supply.”

TVA noted that it is updating its 2015 IRP due to “continuing dramatic changes in the utility industry,” including abundant, lower-cost natural gas, decreased cost of renewable generation and increased focus on energy conservation efforts.

TVA also posted an official Recommendation that will go to a board vote at the August 22 meeting. Once the board votes, TVA will post a Record of Decision to officially close out the 2019 IRP process.

The IRP study results show that there is a need for new capacity in all scenarios to replace expiring or retiring capacity. They also show significant solar expansion in all futures; gas, storage and demand response additions to provide reliability and flexibility; no new baseload resources; additional coal retirements occur in certain scenarios; energy efficiency levels depend on market depth and cost-competitiveness; and a possible role for wind if it becomes cost-competitive.