“Tennessee Valley Authority must be accountable to state's diverse customer base”
The Tennessean's letters reflect the views of the authors and add to public discourse. At issue today: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) rate hikes.
“Tennessee Valley Authority won’t say who limits power use when grid needs it”
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is promoting its Flexibility Program, which allows local power companies to generate up to 5% of their energy from local sources, such as solar power. TVA claims this will encourage cleaner energy options and more control for local utilities. As of now, 153 of TVA’s 153 power distributors have agreed to participate in the program.
“TVA approves power rate increase; Tennesseans’ electric bills to go up”
In August of 2024 TVA approved a 5.25% base rate increase, which will result in a higher utility bill for Tennesseans starting in October. The average bill will likely go up about $4.35/month. The TVA stated that the reason for this rate increase is due to a need to fund construction and energy development.
“TVA's power is relatively cheap. What about after KUB buys and resells it to you?”
KUB has marked up TVA power rates to cover its operational costs. This move aims to fund expensive projects and ongoing infrastructure improvements, resulting in higher electricity bills for customers.
“TVA board still has no Memphis members”
The TVA board still lacks representation from Memphis, even though the city is the largest customer in the utility’s service area. This absence has raised concerns about whether Memphis’ interests are adequately considered in TVA’s decision-making.