Environmental groups seek renewable replacement to Kingston Fossil Plant - WATE 6 On Your Side

What will replace the Kingston Fossil Plant? Environmental groups seek renewable replacement to Roane County plant

HARRIMAN, Tenn. ( WATE) — The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced its plan to retire and replace the Kingston Fossil Plant by 2027.

The plant was the site of the biggest industrial spill in U.S. history when a barrier ruptured in 2008, releasing 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash.

TVA released an environmental impact statement regarding the retirement of the plant on Friday, Feb. 16.

For Betty Johnson, it’s good news. Her husband, Tommy, worked on the cleanup of the ash spill and passed away in May 2023. He, along with other workers, suffered from multiple illnesses in the years following the ash spill and were at the center of lawsuits surrounding it.

“It was really heartbreaking, a disaster, it was grief, it’s loneliness, it’s sad and they did it without knowing, working hard without knowing that their life was in danger,” Johnson said.

She is glad that where she lives will no longer be powered by coal ash.

“I’m so glad that TVA did step up now, after 15 years with the ash spill, decided to change over, it’s definitely going to be a plus for them, it’s definitely a plus for the public, that lives are going to be saved,” she said.

In the environmental impact statement, TVA presented two replacement options for the coal-powered plant that were looked into. Option A is replacing it with a gas-powered plant, and Option B is replacing it with solar and battery-powered facilities across the region.

Environmental groups like Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light contributed to public comment on the issue collected by TVA.

This group and many others are supportive of ending coal-powered energy. However, according to TIPL President Courtney Shea, what it may be replaced with is still a cause for concern.

“We’re very happy to see the Kingston Plant retired, but we oppose replacing it with gas fire-powered plants. TVA has moved towards gas fire power plants in the valley, they say they need it as an interim measure but there are other renewable measures they could take to meet our energy demands,” Shea said.

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Executive Director Dr. Stephen Smith echoed her concerns.

“Coal is a fossil fuel, so taking it off is a good thing, but replacing it with another fossil fuel, fossil gas, is not a good thing,” he explained.

In the statement, TVA stated its preference for Option A, saying it is, “the best overall solution to provide low-cost, reliable energy to TVA’s power system, and could be built and made operational sooner than alternative b, reducing economic, reliability, and environmental risks.”

When asked what TVA should do with the plant after it’s retired, Smith said it’s already been laid out in Option B.

“What other utilities are doing and what we’re advocating for and what is a critical part of the solution for the climate crisis is, we’ve got to get away from fossil resources and solar is the primary driver that’s being used across the country and across the southeast,” he said.

Shea also said more options need to be explored.

“There are renewables. We have storage capacity, more efficient solar capacity, more efficient wind capacity. There are alternatives to fossil fuels for generating the electricity we need,” she said.

In the statement, TVA states that it, “envisions a path to 80 percent carbon reduction by 2035 and aspires to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, while continuing to provide affordable and reliable power for customers.”

For Shea and Smith, this timeline doesn’t reach that goal soon enough.

“Because of the severe impacts of climate change, they need to change their timeline and look at 2035 as a target for generating electricity by renewables rather than by putting more carbon into the atmosphere,” Shea said.

“TVA does not have the proper ambition for the challenge that we’re faced with climate change and that improper ambition is further exacerbated by the fact that TVA is adding more fossil resources when they replace the coal plant,” Smith echoed.

TVA stated that its timeline aligns with the federal government’s: “This aligns with the climate goals of the United States (as detailed in Executive Order 14008 and EO 14082) to reduce GHG emissions 50–52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by no later than 2050.”

The final decision between Option A and B will be made after a 30-day waiting period, which started Friday when the impact statement was released.