Vital Voices

Stakeholders and Public Help Strengthen TVA’s Integrated Resource Plan

Stakeholders and the public showed up in a big way this fall to help the Tennessee Valley Authority plan its energy system of the future.

TVA recently completed a 75-day public comment period for its draft 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), and more people than ever participated in the process.

“Public input is vital, and TVA is incredibly grateful that so many people got involved,” Melanie Farrell, vice president of Valley Engagement and Strategy, said. “Thoughtful and diverse opinions broadened our lens, challenged our assumptions and enhanced our planning.”

The IRP will shape TVA’s energy system through 2050 and help ensure that people in the region have affordable, reliable, resilient and increasingly cleaner energy for decades to come. TVA also is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the impacts associated with the IRP.

TVA published its draft IRP and the accompanying draft EIS on Sept. 23, 2024. That launched the public comment period, which ended on Dec. 11, 2024. During the public comment period, stakeholders and the public were encouraged to review the draft and provide feedback.

TVA hosted two virtual webinars and 10 in-person open houses throughout the region, with a total of 594 participants who asked a collective 376 questions about the IRP and EIS. Open houses were offered in each of the seven states where TVA conducts business.

TVA received more than 2,200 official comments regarding the draft IRP and EIS.

TVA is reviewing and evaluating public input and conducting further analysis to appropriately incorporate feedback into the final IRP. TVA will meet with the IRP Working Group, a diverse group of stakeholders who meet regularly to provide comprehensive feedback on the IRP, to discuss and incorporate public considerations.

The final IRP will include power supply mix ranges, recommendations for strategic portfolio direction through 2035 and information on factors that will influence portfolio direction from 2035 to 2050. TVA plans to publish the final IRP and EIS in spring 2025.

Subject to the TVA Board’s review and direction, the final IRP will serve as TVA’s compass for power generation decisions as well as for long-term operational and financial planning.

“The planning direction established by the IRP will guide what power generation resources and approximately how much of these resources will be needed to power homes and businesses across the Tennessee Valley region for years,” Clifton Lowry, vice president of Enterprise Planning, said.

“Our team and our stakeholders, including the IRP Working Group and the Regional Energy Resource Council, have worked hard to get to this point,” he added. “We are thrilled that so many members of the public participated and helped strengthen our planning as well.”

Bert Robinson, TVA East Region executive, meets with guests at a Nov. 4, 2024, IRP open house in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.