FEDERAL UTILITY SEEKS PROPOSALS FOR BI CARBON-FREE PUSH

The nation’s largest public utility is seeking proposals for what would be one of the biggest recent swings at adding carbon-free electricity in the U.S., laying out a mix-and-match of possibilities this week that range from solar to nuclear.

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s request for proposals seeks up to 5,000 megawatts of carbon-free energy before 2029. It’s the first request that nuclear industry experts know of that pairs new nuclear technologies with wind and solar.

The request includes other options too, such as hydroelectric, geothermal and battery energy storage systems. The Nuclear Energy Institute said that while it’s a first, other utilities envision this type of future and the trade association expects to see a steady increase in new nuclear energy procurements like this.

The move comes juxtaposed with the federal utility’s lingering proposal to shut down the massive coal-fired Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee and replace it with natural gas, which would put the utility out of step with President Joe Biden’s administration goal of a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently expressed concerns along those lines, urging TVA to consider other options. TVA’s final decision is expected in the coming months.

The new request-for-proposal would be one of the country’s biggest recent carbon-free energy additions. In California, regulators approved a plan in February for 25,500 additional megawatts of renewables and 15,000 megawatts in new battery storage resources there by 2032.