The late Governor Happy Chandler once said, “I never met a Kentuckian who wasn’t either thinking about going home or actually going home.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority is proud that our employees, power plants and Kentucky Dam have called the commonwealth home over the last 92 years.
Together we helped power America through a world war, we’ve weathered economic downturns, and we have stood together in the aftermath of the December 2021 tornadoes. Fourteen local power companies partner with TVA in Kentucky to serve our families, neighbors and friends in good times and bad.
When the seven-state region had the hottest weather in over a year last month, TVA was able to meet peak power demand those days using our coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydro-electric assets.
Kentucky is home to TVA’s oldest coal-burning plant—Shawnee Fossil in McCracken County. Burning approximately 14,600 tons of coal a day, the plant on the Ohio River generates enough electricity to power 640,000 homes. Just this year, TVA finished upgrades on Shawnee units that are allowing them to keep running at full capacity throughout the summer. TVA’s coal plants have been workhorses through the years, and they remain an important part of our generation as we look into potentially keeping them running for longer than previously planned.
Kentucky Dam is an engineering marvel—the longest dam in the TVA system at 8,422 feet—it is 22 miles from the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio River. Kentucky Lake has a flood storage capacity more than two and a half times the capacity of the next-largest reservoir in the TVA system, making it crucial for mitigation of flooding in communities downstream and along the Ohio River—notably Paducah.
The dam’s five hydro-units will power about 220,000 homes, and they can go from cold to full capacity within five minutes on the hottest of summer afternoons or coldest January morning.
There are two natural gas plants in Kentucky—Paradise Combined Cycle in Muhlenberg County and Marshall Combustion Turbine in Calvert City.
In 2024, thanks to our hard-working employees, the Paradise site was named the top-performing plant of its kind by Guidehouse’s Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure segment. The combined cycle units can power up to 644,000 homes and in late 2023, TVA added three new simple cycle units onsite that can generate enough power for up to 398,000 homes.
Those simple cycle units, like the eight in Marshall County, have the ability to go from zero to full capacity in about 12 minutes. Kentuckians can be proud that about 500 TVA employees are working in the commonwealth each day to keep the lights (and air conditioning!) on when we need it the most.
TVA and your local power company are working together to serve you, not for shareholders in another state. That partnership is important because we live where you live, our kids go to the same schools, and we have a vested interest in our communities. Retail power rates in the Tennessee valley are lower than those paid by over 80 percent of customers of the top 100 U.S. utilities and industrial rates are lower than those paid by over 90 percent of customers of the top 100 U.S. utilities.
National security is energy security and Kentuckians are keenly aware of this with Fort Campbell along the Tennessee border. The Army post is one of the direct-serve customers in Kentucky who purchase their power directly from TVA and we are honored to serve those who serve our country.
My three terms as Lyon County judge-executive and service on the TVA board of directors have reinforced to me that TVA, working with partners in local communities is an economic driver for our region. In the last fiscal year, TVA helped bring a projected 1,430 new jobs to Kentucky and helped keep 5,000 jobs in the commonwealth. Those are families who will have better opportunities close to home and communities that will become better places to live, work and play.
Those who know me know the lakes region of western Kentucky are close to my heart, and I’m proud of how TVA is helping families and communities there preserve their history and culture.
A mission-driven mandate from Congress allows TVA to focus on the best interests of Kentuckians.
Whether you are near the lakes of the Jackson Purchase, on a farm in the Pennyrile, in a rapidly-growing Bowling Green, or along the Green River, we are all Kentuckians and TVA has been proud to power your home for over 90 years.
About the Columnist: Wade White of Eddyville, Kentucky, completed his 12th year as Lyon County Judge Executive and is now employed with Farmers Bank and Trust Co. of Princeton and Eddyville in business development and public relations. He is the recipient of multiple awards. An avid supporter of recreational fishing, he led initial efforts to raise awareness about the invasive Asian carp species that threatens the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2016. His term expires on May 18, 2027.
Photos courtesy of Collier Electric and TVA.