Regional Operations Center Marked TVA's Modernization

1974 stands as a year to remember. Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record while playing the Atlanta Braves. America was introduced to Fonzie when “Happy Days” premiered. 

It was a memorable year for the Tennessee Valley Authority, too.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Unit 1 began commercial operation and the Regional Operations Center became fully operational.

Initially called the Power System Control Center, the Regional Operations Center reflected the modernization of the TVA system. It served as home to about 50 team members responsible for helping TVA deliver power to customers throughout its seven-state service area.

The center became known as “the Bunker” to many TVA employees, and the nickname is fitting. The roof serves as a parking area, while the two floors beneath it barely peek out of the ground.

The building’s unique design reflects the Cold War era of the early 1970s. The reinforced concrete structure can withstand storms and provide protection in the event of a nuclear attack.

In its earliest days, the center had sleeping cots and a 30-day supply of food.

“There is a lead-filled steel door between the breakroom and the rest of the building,” said TVA retiree Jim Fowler, a former Regional Operations Center manager who started at TVA as a telecommunications installation team member.

“If employees heard an attack was imminent, they were supposed to pull that door shut and the system could be operated underground.”

The most notable exterior feature of the operations center is a bright red microwave tower rising 101 feet in the air. It was part of the communications link with TVA’s hydroelectric, coal-fired and nuclear plants.

Inside the operations center, communications equipment occupies an area slightly larger than a basketball court. 

And in the heart of the facility, on the second floor, was the system control room.

There, load coordinators – now called the Balancing Authority system operators – felt the pressure. They were charged with monitoring and balancing generation output with power demand on the TVA system in real time, without the assistance of modern technology.

Outside the control room, system schedulers forecasted the power needed to serve the system the next day and prepared a schedule for the generating facilities to operate at the most economical level.

The center, often referred to as the ROC, also housed a team of systems analysts who developed computer system programs and provided data processing support for control center operations.

“I was hired as an electrical engineer right out of college in 1972 and was assigned to the ROC,” TVA retiree Tom Griffin said. “It was a fantastic place to work, as we worked on and tested any kind of equipment you can imagine, including computer systems.”

Operation of the power system has moved to the System Operations Center in downtown Chattanooga, with another move planned to the Primary System Operations Center currently under construction.

The Regional Operations Center continues to house several functions vital to providing reliable power to the people of the Valley region.

The center’s former system operator, Greg Henrich, and former general manager, Bob Dalrymple, highlighted the importance of this facility for TVA.

“As we transition to the new Primary System Operations Center, the ROC will play a crucial role in helping us build out the infrastructure for the facility,” Henrich, vice president of TVA’s transmission operations and power supply, said. “We will continue to invest in the ROC, so it remains a reliable backup site.”

The Regional Operations Center is currently the primary location for:

• Reliability coordination system operators who monitor and ensure bulk electric system and transmission reliability for TVA and six other companies.
• Transmission interchange system operators who manage transmission reservations for service.
• The Network Operations Center, which monitors and maintains the integrity of TVA’s telecommunication system and control systems 24/7.
• A backup operation center for the System Operations Center and power trading functions that will remain operational as a backup, even after the move to the new Primary System Operations Center.

“The ROC has been and continues to be an important facility for TVA,” Dalrymple, senior vice president of TVA’s resource management and operations, said. “It has a long history as a critical operation center and has served TVA well.”