The Environmental Journal of Southern Appalachia

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Saturday, 21 October 2023 07:49

Tennessee, home to TVA, is one of the least energy-efficient states in the country

TVA_wind_turbines_on_Buffalo_Mountain_in_East_Tennessee_4402546815.jpgTVA’s Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm in East Tennessee generates 27 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to power over 2,000 homes. The 15 turbines have a capacity of 1.8 megawatts each. They are about 260 feet tall and their blades 135 feet long. The three original, smaller, turbines were decommissioned in 2009 and removed in 2021.  TVA

Tennessee ranks among the top one-third of states in total energy consumption.

Tennessee just earned a top spot on the “Least Energy-Efficient State” list.

A recent study by WalletHub determined which states lead the nation in energy efficiency. Tennessee ranked near the bottom of the list at No. 42.

The new report compared the conterminous 48 states to find out who was using the most and the least energy. The study excluded Alaska and Hawaii.

For some, this study is just another example of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s lack of response to the community and the environment. 

“For many years, TVA’s lack of efficiency investment perpetuated unnecessary energy waste, leading to significantly higher customer energy bills,” said Forest Bradley-Wright, Energy Efficiency Director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. “Despite achieving only modest efficiency levels previously, from 2017 through 2021 annual efficiency savings at TVA declined by 95% down to almost nothing, such that the national average for utility energy efficiency savings was 68 times higher. In 2021, residential customers in Tennessee consumed nearly 34% more electricity than the national average — making it once again the second highest state for residential electricity consumption in the country.”
 
“Following a congressional inquiry, and promises by the utility to do better, TVA recently announced plans to invest $1.5 billion in energy efficiency and demand response between now and 2027, starting what we hope will be a new and better chapter for energy efficiency in the Tennessee Valley,” said Bradley-Wright.
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