Following a multi-year public process, the Tennessee Valley Authority on April 2 said it has made the decision to retire its Kingston Fossil Plant and build a state-of-the-art energy complex at the site by the end of 2027.
TVA will retire the nine coal-fired units at Kingston by the end of 2027. To replace that generation, TVA will build an energy complex that will house at least 1,500 megawatts of combined cycle and dual-fuel Aeroderivative natural gas combustion turbines with 100 megawatts of battery storage and up to 4 megawatts of solar generation at the Kingston location.
This will be a first-of-its-kind facility at TVA. The natural gas generation will be in operation prior to Kingston Fossil Plant retirement to maintain reliable, uninterrupted power to customers.
The decision follows a public process under the National Environmental Policy Act, which ensures public participation and input is considered during a robust review of all feasible options.
The Kingston Fossil Plant is in Roane County, Tennessee. Its nine coal-fired units produced up to a total of 1,398 megawatts of electricity, powering approximately 818,000 homes.
“Kingston is, and has been, a part of the success of this region over the last 70 years,” said TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. “Retiring these units and replacing them with technology that is more reliable, more resilient, and cleaner is not an easy decision, but it’s the right thing to do for our energy security going forward.”
“This is the evolution of our energy system,” said Allen Clare, TVA senior vice president for Power Operations. “This energy complex is the most cost-effective option that offers the flexibility and reliability within the timeline to bring replacement generation online.”
TVA noted that it has one of the nation’s largest, most diverse, cleanest energy systems, including nuclear, solar, hydro, gas, and advanced technologies.
TVA’s clean energy initiatives include achieving a 57% reduction in mass carbon emissions from the 2005 level – one of the nation’s largest reductions – while executing a path to an 80% reduction by 2035 and adding 10,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2035.
“TVA is a national leader in clean energy, but we know there is more to do,” Lyash said. “Achieving a carbon-free energy future won’t be easy. There is no one answer to achieving our nation’s decarbonization goals.
“The answer to how you go further, faster includes continued expansion of solar and wind energy, developing emerging technologies – energy storage, carbon capture, low-carbon fuels, and advanced nuclear technologies. We are uniquely positioned to lead this critical initiative moving forward.”
“I’m proud of the Kingston team,” said Jeff Kickert, Kingston plant manager. “We’ve done a tremendous job facing the challenges of increased environmental regulations and the demand for more flexible operation. We’ll continue to do great work, and Kingston will remain an important part of the fleet until its slated retirement.”
As TVA’s generation mix evolves, TVA is committed to supporting employees in the next step in their careers.
“We have a detailed workforce plan in place to maintain coal plant expertise and provide opportunities for employees to evaluate options and prepare for next career steps,” said Kris Edmondson, TVA vice president of Power Operations. “The plan includes opportunities to transfer to other TVA locations where employee skillsets are needed, positions in other technologies offering training to support transition to a new job in TVA, and supporting employees interested in retiring.”
TVA said it will continue to evaluate the remaining coal fleet for retirement and replacement generation. To reduce operational, economic and environmental risks, TVA is anticipating retiring its entire coal fleet by the mid-2030s to support a clean energy system of the future.
For more information, read the Record of Decision and other related documents found at tva.com/nepa
