Widows Creek Fossil Plant

Widows Creek Fossil Plant, named for a creek that flows through the plant site, is located on Guntersville Reservoir on the Tennessee River in northeast Alabama. In April 2005 Widows Creek Unit 3 set a national record for a continuous run by a coal-fired unit, operating for 819 days before it was shut down for scheduled maintenance. A new record was set when TVA’s Shawnee Fossil Plant Unit 6 achieved 820 days of nonstop operation in May 2006.

Balancing efficient power production with environmental protection

Electricity is produced at Widows Creek’s eight coal-fired units by the process of heating water in a boiler to produce steam. Under extremely high pressure, the steam flows into a turbine that spins a generator to make electricity.

Widows Creek generates about 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply 650,000 homes.

By 2010, TVA will have spent about $6 billion on emissions controls at its fossil-fuel plants to ensure that this power supply is generated as cleanly as possible, consistent with efficiency.

To reduce sulfur dioxide (SO₂ ) emissions, Widows Creek Units 1 through 6 use a blend of low-sulfur coal, and Units 7 and 8 have wet limestone scrubbers. To reduce nitrogen oxides (NO_X ) emissions Units 1 through 6 use combustion controls and boiler optimization. Units 7 and 8 have low-NO_X burners and selective catalytic reduction systems. View more information about emissions at Widows Creek and the steps TVA is taking to control them.

Toxics Release Inventory

TVA is required to report annually to the Environmental Protection Agency on the amounts of chemicals released by its fossil-fuel plants. Check here for the latest data on Widows Creek.

Emissions Data

TVA monitors other emissions at its fossil plants, including SO₂ , NO_X , CO₂ , and mercury. Check here for the latest data on Widows Creek.