The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved closing the Bull Run Fossil Plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 3 in Western Kentucky on Feb. 14, 2019.
Chattanooga, TENN. — A major Tennessee utility provider has approved closing two rail-served, coal-fired power plants, alluding to a changing landscape in electricity generation.
In a Valentine’s Day meeting, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved closing the Bull Run Fossil Plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 3 in Western Kentucky. The two plants are among TVA’s oldest operating power-generating facilities.
The Bull Run plant is served by CSX Transportation and receives about one coal train per week, TVA studies indicated. Paradise receives the majority of its coal by truck, but is also served by CSX. A CSX official says Paradise receives little coal by rail, and that the coal originates from Peabody Energy, where it is currently delivered by the Indiana Rail Road. Bull Run receives coal from several sources, most of which are operated by Murray Energy Corp. Murray Energy is the largest privately owned coal company in the U.S., producing about 76 million tons of bituminous coal per year.
“Given the projected need for energy over the next several years, where flat to declining demand combines with more renewable energy resources and higher load swings, TVA must” continuously evaluate its generating assets, TVA studies stated.
In a Twitter post earlier this week, President Donald Trump urged TVA, a federally owned utility, to reconsider closing the Paradise Unit 3 generator. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged TVA to postpone the decision to close the plants until May, when two of President Trump’s appointees to the TVA board would take their seats. The vote to close the Paradise plant passed by a 3-2 margin. The vote to close Bull Run passed with three votes in favor. Only one vote in opposition was audible in a live broadcast of the Chattanooga meeting.
Board members indicated the process of closing the plants could take as long as four years.
Paradise Unit 3 went online in 1970. Two older coal-fired units, originally activated in 1963, were retired in 2017. Bull Run became operational in 1967, boasting two generating units.
In a Valentine’s Day meeting, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved closing the Bull Run Fossil Plant at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Paradise Fossil Plant Unit 3 in Western Kentucky. The two plants are among TVA’s oldest operating power-generating facilities.
The Bull Run plant is served by CSX Transportation and receives about one coal train per week, TVA studies indicated. Paradise receives the majority of its coal by truck, but is also served by CSX. A CSX official says Paradise receives little coal by rail, and that the coal originates from Peabody Energy, where it is currently delivered by the Indiana Rail Road. Bull Run receives coal from several sources, most of which are operated by Murray Energy Corp. Murray Energy is the largest privately owned coal company in the U.S., producing about 76 million tons of bituminous coal per year.
“Given the projected need for energy over the next several years, where flat to declining demand combines with more renewable energy resources and higher load swings, TVA must” continuously evaluate its generating assets, TVA studies stated.
In a Twitter post earlier this week, President Donald Trump urged TVA, a federally owned utility, to reconsider closing the Paradise Unit 3 generator. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged TVA to postpone the decision to close the plants until May, when two of President Trump’s appointees to the TVA board would take their seats. The vote to close the Paradise plant passed by a 3-2 margin. The vote to close Bull Run passed with three votes in favor. Only one vote in opposition was audible in a live broadcast of the Chattanooga meeting.
Board members indicated the process of closing the plants could take as long as four years.
Paradise Unit 3 went online in 1970. Two older coal-fired units, originally activated in 1963, were retired in 2017. Bull Run became operational in 1967, boasting two generating units.
