The Tennessee Valley Authority is seeking 5 GW of clean energy to be available before 2029, in what the federally-owned utility said is “one of the largest clean energy procurement requests in the nation.”
In a request for proposals issued Tuesday, the utility said it would consider: solar, onshore or offshore wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass, nuclear, renewable gas, battery energy storage systems, and hybrid combinations, earning approval from nuclear advocates.
The utility is “taking meaningful actions to deploy carbon-free energy,” Nuclear Energy Institute President and CEO Maria Korsnick said in a statement. “We applaud TVA for recognizing the significant role nuclear energy will have alongside wind, solar and other low-carbon technologies.”
The RFP notes that although a competitive bidding process is “not legally required for TVA power purchases, in certain circumstances a process such as this presents on balance the most advantageous method of proceeding.”
The utility is “uniquely positioned to lead in reducing carbon emissions for the region and the nation,” TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash said in a statement. “This announcement is a clear signal to our industry, our partners, and our nation that we need to move further and faster.”
TVA is the nation’s largest, government-owned energy provider and provides electricity for 153 local power companies serving 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding states. Its long-term strategy calls for reducing carbon emissions 70% by 2030 and 80% by 2035, relative to 2005 levels, and to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
