Tennessee Valley Authority
TVA Contracts With Horizon For Renewable Wind Power
February 17, 2010
The Tennessee Valley Authority is adding more wind energy to its generating system with a contract for the purchase of up to 115 megawatts of renewable energy from a wind farm in Iowa.
The 20-year agreement with Horizon Wind Energy LLC will supply wind from the Pioneer Prairie wind farm in Howard and Mitchell counties in Iowa. The energy will come from 70 existing Vesta 1.65-megawatt wind turbines. Generation is expected to begin this fall, subject to applicable environmental requirements and firm transmission arrangements being secured.
“This contract again affirms TVA’s commitment to providing affordable, reliable electric power at the lowest possible cost,” said TVA Senior Vice President John Trawick. “Wind energy is an increasingly valuable part of our generation portfolio.”
With this contract, TVA has added up to 1,380 megawatts of new renewable or clean energy resources to the generating system. The contracts are a result of a request for proposals TVA issued in December 2008.
TVA’s current renewable energy portfolio, excluding recent wind contracts, includes 3,889 megawatts from hydro, wind, solar and methane sources. In addition, TVA’s nuclear plants contribute 6,900 megawatts of low-or-no-emission electricity to the power grid.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA’s service territory are below the national average.
Media Contact
Scott Brooks, (865) 632-8031
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865) 632-6000