Existing Transmission Assets in Tennessee Programmatic Agreement

TVA proposes to enter into a Programmatic Agreement with the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer (TN-SHPO) and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) to resolve adverse effects on TVA’s Historic Transmission Assets within Tennessee. TVA currently maintains over 9,300 miles of transmission lines plus associated supporting resources (substations, switchyards, metering stations, switching stations, switch houses, radio and microwave stations, transmission associated cell sites, power stores, and transmission offices) within the state of Tennessee. Many of these resources have reached the 50-year mark, making them potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Prior to work on these resources, the National Historic Preservation Act (as amended) requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties (resources eligible for the NRHP), including transmission assets over 50 years of age. NRHP-eligibility reviews of individual resources involve considerable time and cost to TVA and, ultimately, rate payers. The proposed Programmatic Agreement with TN-SHPO and ACHP would eliminate the need for assessment of these individual historic transmission assets. All parties would agree that some of these assets are eligible for the NRHP, and that TVA would mitigate adverse effects to those assets via terms stated in the Programmatic Agreement. This agreement would solely resolve adverse effects to TVA’s historic transmission assets. TVA would continue to consult on any other effects identified under pursuant to either 36 CFR § 800, subpart B or under any other programmatic agreement, including TVA’s Section 106 Programmatic Agreement.

Public Comment

TVA offered a public comment period on this proposed agreement between May 26 and June 26, 2023.