Melissa Williams, melissa.williams@sierraclub.org
KNOXVILLE, TENN. —The Tennessee Valley Authority today released its draft environmental reviews on potential for coal unit retirements at Bull Run in Anderson County Tennessee and Paradise in western Kentucky’s Muhlenberg County.
TVA CEO Bill Johnson said earlier this year that overall energy demand is declining, along with the utility’s practice of burning coal as an energy source. TVA derived more than 60 percent of its electricity from burning coal a decade ago, but by 2020 that number is expected to shrink to about 18 percent.
In response, Bonnie Swinford, organizing representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign in Tennessee, released the following statement:
“TVA's decisions are being driven by the bad economics around coal and the poor performance of these two aging coal plants. But coal is also a bad choice for the people of the Tennessee Valley, because there’s no safe way to store toxic coal waste, or to mine and burn coal, that doesn’t threaten our communities, our waterways and our climate.
“So as TVA considers taking these uneconomic coal units off-line, its leadership should also fully embrace the value and benefits of affordable renewable power and energy efficiency. This is the smartest way to protect our environment, strengthen TVA’s bottom line, and help local families and businesses pay less for their electricity.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.