Andy Li, andy.li@sierraclub.org
NASHVILLE - Today, Sierra Club released its sixth Dirty Truth Report. This year, the Tennessee Valley Authority scored a 0 out of 100, its lowest score in the report’s history. The report grades utilities across the country based on how much coal they are retiring, how much gas they are planning, and how much renewable energy they are adding.
Nationally, the 76 utilities scored 7 out of 100 in aggregate. This is eight points lower than last year’s report and the lowest score in the report’s history.
According to the Dirty Truth Report, TVA is planning on:
- Adding 10,526 MW of new gas.
- Retiring 0 MW of coal, while breaking its promise to close down the outdated Kingston and Cumberland Coal Plants.
- Only adding 3,884 MW of renewable energy
Renewable energy remains the cheapest way to generate electricity, while coal and fossil fuels remain expensive and extremely harmful to public health. Despite this, the Dirty Truth Report shows that TVA is doubling down on dangerous, expensive fossil fuels. This means higher bills for families, more dangerous pollution, and less reliable energy.
The full report is available on the Dirty Truth website or here.
“TVA was envisioned to give the people power over their own energy. This report shows what a year of schemes to keep the people out of TVA’s process looks like,” said Bonnie Swinford, Campaign Organizing Strategist for the Sierra Club. “The people of the Tennessee Valley want real commitments to shut down TVA’s outdated, polluting coal plants to protect our air and water, but TVA insists on propping up the coal industry and building new gas plants to roll out the red carpet for large load customers like A.I. data centers. The Sierra Club is determined to keep fighting alongside people of the Tennessee Valley to keep public power alive in TVA and push for the clean energy transition we know is possible.”
“The Dirty Truth report has once again revealed utilities’ overwhelming failure to plan a phase-out of their expensive and dirty fossil fuel infrastructure, and transition to clean energy,” said Sierra Club Chief Program Officer Holly Bender. “Every year that utilities drag their feet on the clean energy transition is another year where families pay record bills for expensive fossil fuels, another year of extreme weather events, and another year of air and water pollution threatening our health. We cannot afford to wait any longer to bring our grid into the 21st century. As artificial intelligence data centers drive demand for energy, utility companies are rushing to expensive and dangerous fossil fuels, leading to soaring electricity prices and worsening air pollution. The time is now for these companies to transition to affordable, reliable, clean energy to build a healthier and more sustainable energy future. The Sierra Club will continue to push utilities to deploy more renewable energy and work to lower costs and emissions.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.