KNOXVILLE, Tenn.: The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Friday an agreement with two solar developers to build the largest solar installations in Tennessee and Alabama at 150 and 227 megawatts, respectively. The 377 megawatt output from these facilities is part of a historic agreement to support Facebook’s data center in Huntsville, Alabama with 100 percent renewable energy.
“TVA’s commitment to the environment and our diverse portfolio are among the top reasons why businesses choose to relocate to the Valley,” said John Bradley, TVA’s senior vice president of Economic Development. “TVA’s ability to deliver large amounts of renewable, reliable energy at competitive rates makes the Valley an attractive place to do business and recruit quality jobs.”
Today’s announcement stems from TVA’s 2017 Request for Proposals when the largest public utility in America began working with Facebook and called on the nation’s top renewable energy developers to submit bids to supply large quantities of solar power.
“We are committed to supporting our operations with 100 percent renewable energy and look to partner with organizations like TVA who offer solutions to help meet that goal,” said Bryce Dalley, energy manager, Facebook. “TVA has been a great, responsive partner, and we are looking forward to being a part of the community in Huntsville.”
“This announcement demonstrates TVA’s commitment to invest in renewable energy that attracts high-paying jobs to benefit the communities we serve,” said Doug Perry, TVA vice president of Commercial Energy Solutions. “This partnership aligns the core values of TVA’s public power model with Facebook’s mission to bring the world closer together – powered by renewable energy.”
Facebook has committed to support all of its data centers and offices with 100 percent renewable energy by 2020. Through a partnership with TVA, the company’s first Valley-based facility will be powered with 100 percent renewable energy, split between two locations subject to appropriate environmental reviews:
- First Solar – 227 megawatts in Colbert County, Alabama.
- NextEra Energy Resources – 150 megawatts in Lincoln County, Tennessee.
“Solar power has a bright future for families in the Tennessee Valley if we can continue to attract top-tier companies like Facebook,” Perry said. TVA is planning to invest $8 billion in renewable energy over the next 20 years.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies serving nearly 10 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority
