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Sierra Club Report Finds Energy Efficiency Helps Bill Payers and Air Quality

Case Updates:

August 14, 2012

On August 14, Sierra Club released a new report conducted by Synapse Energy Economics revealing that the Tennessee Valley Authority is risking wasting billions of dollars to keep aging, out-of-date coal plants online instead of pursuing lower cost options like energy efficiency.

The report, commissioned by the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, outlines a dim economic scenario for TVA's coal fleet, including four coal plants - the Gallatin, Allen, Colbert, and Shawnee Fossil Plants – on which TVA is considering spending billions of dollars.

The report, called "TVA Coal in Crisis: Using Energy Efficiency to Replace TVA's Highly Non-Economic Coal Units," finds that TVA's current plans will cost billions, raising customer's rates for decades. In contrast, Synapse finds that an energy efficiency savings program run at a level that TVA acknowledges is achievable, would reduce air pollution, cut customers rates over the long-term, and eliminate the need to operate at least one TVA coal plant in the next three years. 

Details and Documents:

Our Challenge to TVA: Will You Live Up to Your Values and Save Money and Lives with Energy Efficiency?
August 16, 2012 by Mary Anne Hitt, Grist

New Report Shows TVA Could Save Customers Billions While Improving Air Quality
August 14, 2012, Sierra Club Press Release

TVA Coal in Crisis Report
August 14, 2012, Synapse Energy Economics, Inc.

News Articles:

Sierra Club urges TVA to boost efficiency
August 15, 2012 by Duane W. Gang, The Tennessean

More Info:

See other "Promoting Clean Energy" cases.


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