As the coldest temperatures so far this winter settled into the region this week, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s power generation system met the highest peak demand in the agency’s over 91-year history, officials said.
Wednesday’s preliminary all-time record peak of 35,319 megawatts came at 8 a.m. CT with a system temperature of 11 degrees. TVA’s power system remained stable throughout the event.
In fiscal year 2024, TVA invested $430 million to harden its system and enhance the reliability and resiliency of its natural gas, coal and hydro generating fleet.
That included thousands of winter readiness activities. These activities stemmed from lessons learned and best practices from previous winters, as well as robust inspections.
“We have continued to harden our system for the weather and learn from each extreme cold event,” said Greg Henrich, TVA senior vice president, Grid. “We enhance our procedures every year to keep the power system stable and reliable during extreme temperatures. It’s a testament to employees at TVA and local power companies who work around the clock in the elements to provide power and make sure 10 million people are safe and warm. We also appreciate all of our partners in the Tennessee Valley — residents and businesses — who heeded TVA’s call to conserve power during the peak morning hours on Wednesday. Working together, we were able to make history.”
Officials said, "Because the region’s population is growing three-times faster than the national average, TVA is investing nearly $16 billion over the next several years to build additional generation and infrastructure while also enhancing reliability. TVA is building about 3,500 megawatts of additional generation and has made great progress by completing 1,400 megawatts and securing 800 megawatts of solar last year."