Oak Ridge Today

TVA releases draft power generation plan

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The Tennessee Valley Authority has released a draft version of a plan that evaluates its options to meet its power generation needs during the next 20 years, and it is accepting public comments.

Under development since early 2018, the draft of the Integrated Resource Plan was released for public review on Friday.

The Integrated Resource Plan is a power planning roadmap, TVA said in a press release Wednesday. It examines a variety of economic, regulatory, and market-driven scenarios and strategies—both within and outside TVA’s control—to help the public utility respond to changing energy demands while continuing to provide reliable power at the lowest possible cost, the press release said.

“The 2019 IRP emphasizes the importance of flexibility in our generation in response to the changing energy marketplace,” said Laura Campbell, TVA vice president of enterprise planning. “TVA looked at a wide range of possible futures, and flexibility is important in every case to ensure a reliable power supply.” [Read more…]

State awards $200,000 grant for lighting at Oak Ridge Municipal Building, Civic Center

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Gov. Bill Haslam Check Presentation

Gov. Bill Haslam announces that Oak Ridge has received $200,000 in Clean Tennessee Energy Grant funding for lighting at the Municipal Building and Civic Center.

Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday announced that Oak Ridge is receiving $200,000 in Clean Tennessee Energy Grant funding for lighting in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building and Civic Center Complex.

The money will be used to replace and retrofit existing fluorescent lighting fixtures to LED lighting, a press release said.

It’s the first of 19 grant awards that the governor will be making in the next few weeks, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said in the press release. Funding for the projects comes from an April 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. [Read more…]

New ORNL steam plant part of project that could save $200 million

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ORNL Central Biomass Steam Plant

A new steam plant at Oak Ridge National Laboratory burns wood chips rather than fossil fuels, and officials say it will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo submitted by U.S. Department of Energy)

New energy conservation measures in place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory could save an estimated $200 million during a 25-year period, the U.S. Department of Energy announced this week.

The centerpiece of those measures is a biomass plant that burns wood chips and not fossil fuels to produce steam for heat and humidity control on the lab’s main campus, DOE said in a press release.

Officials had a dedication ceremony for the Central Biomass Steam Plant on Thursday.

[Read more…]