KNOXVILLE, Tenn., March 15, 2006 /PRNewswire

 

TVA's 11 coal-fired power plants achieved their lowest-ever emission levels in 2005 while producing a near-record amount of electricity.

Emissions of sulfur dioxide were about 80 percent below levels in the peak year of 1977. TVA has fossil plants in Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee. In 2005, SO2 emissions from TVA fossil plants were 40,000 tons less than those from private utility plants in North Carolina alone. TVA has 5,000 megawatts more fossil capacity than North Carolina.

During the year, the TVA fossil system generated 98.6 million megawatt- hours, enough electricity to serve more than 6.5 million people. Although TVA's 2005 fossil generation increased by 3.5 percent over 2004 and was the third-largest yearly generation level ever, SO2 emissions from TVA fossil plants in 2005 decreased by 6.6 percent from 2004 levels. In 2005, fossil plants supplied 62 percent of the electricity generated by TVA for its customers.

TVA uses six scrubbers on its largest generating units and low sulfur coal on other units to remove SO2 and is scheduled to bring a seventh scrubber on line at Paradise Fossil Plant in Kentucky later this year. An eighth scrubber will begin operating at Bull Run Fossil Plant in Tennessee in 2009, and two more scrubbers are scheduled for operation in 2010 at Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee.

"At TVA, our actions speak louder than words," said TVA Chairman Bill Baxter. "Our first scrubber went into operation in 1977 on one of our largest units. In North Carolina, the first scrubber wasn't installed until 2005, and it was on one of the smallest units."

Nitrogen oxide emissions from TVA fossil plants were 80 percent below 1995 levels during the 2005 summer ozone season. TVA uses 20 state-of-the-art selective catalytic reduction systems and other controls to reduce NOx emissions. TVA will operate an additional SCR to further lower NOx emissions during the 2006 ozone season.

"TVA's continued reductions in emissions and the region's cleaner air demonstrate our commitment to improving air quality." Baxter said. "In fact, data from the Environmental Protection Agency show the air is cleaner now than it has been at any time in our lives. TVA will continue leading the industry in supplying reliable power while improving regional air quality."

TVA is the nation's largest public power provider and is completely self- financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states.

TVA's power facilities include 11 fossil plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, 3 nuclear plants, 6 combustion turbine plants, a pumped-storage facility and 17,000 miles of transmission lines. TVA has 33,189 megawatts of dependable generating capacity.

SOURCE Tennessee Valley Authority

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