The Tennessee Valley Authority will have two open houses next week to discuss the future of the Bull Run Fossil Plant, a coal-burning power plant in Claxton that is scheduled to close in about four years.
One open house will be in Oak Ridge, and the other will be in Claxton. Both are open to the public.
The first open house is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the YWCA at 1660 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The second is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at Claxton Elementary School at 2218 Clinton Highway.
“This will be an open house format, where the public can interact with TVA staff and experts on the various activities at Bull Run, including the future of coal combustion residuals at the site,” TVA said in an announcement.
The TVA Board of Directors unanimously agreed in February to close Bull Run, a single-generator plant across the Clinch River from east Oak Ridge.
In another plant retirement, the board voted 6-1 during that same meeting to close the one coal-fired generator still operating, Unit 3, at the Paradise Fossil Plant near Drakesboro, Kentucky.
Paradise Unit 3 could be retired in December 2020, and Bull Run could be closed December 2023, TVA said. Bull Run has been reported to be running at about 30 percent capacity for several years.
TVA has said Bull Run and Paradise Unit 3 are both older coal-generating units that were not designed to efficiently respond to the continually fluctuating power needs of customers today. TVA said the closures would better balance its generation system with changing energy load demands.
Members of the Oak Ridge and Anderson County communities have had a number of questions about the planned closure of Bull Run, including what will happen to the coal ash stored on the site and will the site itself be redeveloped or reused.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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