The Tennessee Valley Authority had previously stated its intentions to retire its four coal plants in Kentucky and Tennessee by 2035. But now, the utility’s CEO said some of the plants could be operating “for the foreseeable future.”
The federal utility’s fleet includes four coal-fired plants: Shawnee Fossil Plant in West Paducah, Kentucky; Gallatin Fossil Plant in Gallatin, Tennessee; Cumberland Fossil Plant in Cumberland City, Tennessee; and Kingston Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tennessee.
TVA originally announced its 2035 coal-fired plant retirement goals during the first year of former President Joe Biden’s term. Part of those plans include retiring Kingston’s coal-fired units by 2027 and both of the units at the Cumberland plant by 2028.
However, on a financial conference call last week, CEO Don Moul said recent executive orders from President Donald Trump have led TVA officials to take another look at whether retiring its coal fleet is still in the utility’s best long-term interest…