TVA hosting Pisgah public meeting on pumped storage hydro project

PISGAH – The Tennessee Valley Authority is proposing to make a significant investment in a Pumped Storage Hydro project that will help power the region’s growth.

The PSH stores energy by pumping water to a higher elevation and releasing it back through turbines when demand for energy is high.

As part of a National Environmental Policy Act review, the agency is seeking hosting a public meeting Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Pisgah High School to seek input on TVA’s Pumped Storage Hydropower Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The statement is available at tva.com/nepa.

The options are:

• Alternative A (No Action): TVA would not develop or expand PSH facilities at any of the project sites. TVA would continue to operate the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH with no changes to current operations.
• Alternative B: A new PSH at Rorex Creek, near Pisgah, with an energy generation capacity ranging from 1,200 megawatts up to 1,600 MW (TVA’s Preferred Alternative).
• Alternative C: A new PSH at Widows Creek, near Stevenson and Fabius, with an energy generation capacity ranging from 1,200-megawatt (MW) up to 1,600 MW.
• Alternative D: An 800-MW expansion of the existing Raccoon Mountain PSH near Chattanooga.

DEIS comments must be received or postmarked no later than July 14. Submit comments in-person at the public meeting or via email to [email protected]. Written comments should be sent to: Tennessee Valley Authority, ATTN: Elizabeth Smith, NEPA Specialist, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT-11D, Knoxville, TN 37902.

All comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and will be available for public inspection.

TVA operates one PSH facility – the 1,700-megawatt Raccoon Mountain near Chattanooga. PSH is a safe, versatile power generation source that provides long-duration energy storage, grid balancing, and peaking power services, as well as emergency black-start capabilities.