By Trish Marshall
“There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear”…thank you Buffalo Springfield for the title and perfect sentence to sum up the May 10, 2018 TVA Board meeting in Florence AL.
I went expecting to just attend (or hold a sign outside) because I had not previously signed up to publicly address the Board. Much to my delight there was a “last-minute” (up to15 minutes before meeting starts) sign-up sheet to do so. The audience was instructed in TVA meeting protocol. Speakers were allowed the usual 3 minutes to have their say. No one was to make comments while the speakers were; one was allowed to show their support for a particular speaker by standing up from your seat while that person was talking. I showed my support by standing up during the SACE, Sierra Club, and TN Interfaith Power & Light (TIPL) speakers.
As expected, the majority of speakers addressed the issue of the “Grid Access Charge” (TVA’s verbiage), how unfair it is, low income people will be severely impacted trying to afford an extra $20-30 per month electricity bill.
A few people actually praised the TVA for working with them on farming and industrial development projects.
There were a few solar companies represented.
I talked (next to last speaker) as an environmental scientist, volunteer, and activist and also as a member of Climate Nashville, Sierra Club Middle Tennessee, and TIPL and as a TVA customer. My spiel was about the continued (outdated & CO2 causing) use of fossil fuels (coal & gas) to generate electricity, that a better alternative is sustainable solar and wind, that TVA has responsibility to fulfill a historic mandate of FDR’s New Deal to provide affordable, reliable power (solar & wind?), to protect our environment, to lead us to a clean, green future for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.
In fairness, the Board did address the issues by saying:
- The Grid Access Charge would turn out to be $30 per year NOT $30 per month. I personally cannot get the math to have that outcome based on TVA’s formula of 1/2 cent charge per KW hour.
- Local Power Companies have fixed charges based on “cost of service study”. (i.e. Pass the buck??)
- TVA tries to find the “least impactful method”
- Moving toward divestiture of TVA and targeting transmission assets.
- Rate structure based on time of use. Fairer pricing model. Businesses use this.
- Subsidies for socialized utility pricing, price per KW.
- 6-8% base rate lowering
BUT… (Get Ready!!...)
ANOTHER 1.5% INCREASE IN OCTOBER!!
As to the use of sustainables (solar & wind) the issue of a “backup generating system” (at night, no wind, etc.) would be necessary in order to be reliable.
As to the use of non CO2-causing generating sources, the Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant (on Wheeler Lake/Tennessee River near Athens, AL) is the preferred solution. It will be increasing its power generation by 14%.
Google data center is being built in Stevenson (Jackson County) AL and will need reliable electricity. (The promo pic shows solar panels, but wait--I thought solar wasn’t “reliable”??) http://www.madeinalabama.com/2018/04/google-kicks-off-construction-on-alabama-data-center/
Board member Eric Setz will consider the issue of how to make public access easier.
ISSUES VOTED ON: ALL PASSED
- The Good: 3 Year Pilot Program for special EV charging rate
- The Bad: Grid Access Charge
- The Ugly: New gas pipeline. Texas gas pipeline 10-year transmission renewal.
Read all about it:
Trish Marshall is a member of Sierra Club and the Middle Tennessee Group within the Tennessee Chapter. She is also a member of Climate Nashville, TIPL (Tennesssee Interfaith Power and Light), and a TVA customer. Trish has worked in industry as a water quality analyst and is now an environmental activist in our community.