Congressman Cohen and Senator Markey Lead Letter Urging TVA to Transition to a Clean and Renewable Future
Continued reliance on fossil fuels is “supercharging the climate crisis
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) and Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts have led a letter to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board Chairman William Kilbride and its President and CEO Jeffrey J. Lyash urging them chart a path to 100 percent clean, renewable sources of energy by 2035, in line with the Biden Administration’s executive order on catalyzing a sustainable U.S. economy.
The letter reads in part:
“As the country’s largest public power producer, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) should be leading the nation’s transition to a clean, renewable energy future, not dragging its feet. Yet, TVA continues to rely on fossil fuels that are not only supercharging the climate crisis, but are subjecting TVA customers to electric grid blackouts and energy insecurity. It is long past time for TVA to begin the transition to a renewable and reliable electric grid. We write to urge you to phase out fossil fuels and immediately chart a path to 100-percent clean energy by 2035—one that prioritizes safety, affordability, resilience, and justice…
“TVA’s 10 million customers are shouldering the costs of its delayed transition to clean, renewable power. TVA customers experience some of the highest energy burdens in the nation, often spending an astounding 20 to 30 percent of their income on energy…
“Further, TVA’s reluctance to join the clean energy revolution is not only expensive for its customers, it is further polluting communities that are already burdened with environmental health hazards. In addition to facing high energy burdens, families in the Tennessee Valley region suffer from the effects of TVA’s dirty energy mix, including exposure to the arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury present in coal ash. In one recent case, TVA proceeded to dump coal ash in a predominantly Black neighborhood in South Memphis despite strong community opposition…“In sum, TVA’s decision to stick with fossil fuels fails on several fronts. It undermines President Biden’s executive order to reach carbon-free electricity by 2035. It is contrary to global calls to fight climate change as well — including UN Secretary General António Guterres recently imploring the United States and other wealthy nations to reach net-zero emissions by 2040 to avoid the worst climate consequences. It is expensive. And it disproportionately impacts communities of color and low wealth. TVA can no longer delay action on the climate emergency and growing energy injustice.”
See the entire letter here.
From Gaby Sarri-Tobar, an energy justice campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity:
“As the planet boils and families struggle to pay skyrocketing energy bills, our country’s largest public utility should do all it can to fast track a just transition to 100 percent renewable energy. It’s unacceptable that TVA continues to stymie Biden’s climate goals and burden its millions of customers with hazardous, expensive fossil fuels. We’re in a climate emergency and instead of being a mega-polluter, this mega-utility should be leading the way with clean, resilient and affordable energy.”
“In 2023, communities across the Southeastern U.S. have faced extreme heat, disastrous flooding, and so many other climate-driven disasters as a direct result of burning fossil fuels. As one of the nation’s largest power producers, the Tennessee Valley Authority is in a unique position to lead the transition away from fossil fuel energy and toward justly-sourced renewable energy,” said Aaditi Lele, Zero Hour Policy Director. “For people and the climate, TVA must change course away from fossil fuels.”
“TVA’s prolonged delay and opposition to energy efficiency and clean energy is not just an environmental issue, it affects real people,” said Daniel Tait, Executive Director at Energy Alabama. “Regular folks in the Valley are struggling to pay their utility bills and worried about whether TVA can keep the lights on like we saw during Winter Storm Elliott. It’s time to move on from expensive and unreliable gas.”
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