TVA board to vote on replacing Memphis coal plant

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority’s board is scheduled to vote on a proposal to retire the coal-fired Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis and replace it with a natural gas facility.

TVA’s board is scheduled to meet Thursday in Knoxville.

The utility said in July that it completed a draft environmental assessment looking at replacing the Allen plant.

TVA committed to install emission controls or retire Allen’s coal units by December 2018 under a 2011 agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions across its coal-fired generating fleet.

Environmental groups say the Allen plant causes a pollution hazard and it should be shut down and replaced with a facility that generates cleaner energy.

TVA is the nation’s largest public utility, supplying power to about 9 million people in several states.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up