TUSCUMBIA, Ala. — The Tennessee Valley Authority says the expansion of the Colbert Combustion Turbine Plant is ready to provide affordable, reliable, and clean energy. More than 100 people attended the dedication event on Tuesday to tour the facility in Tuscumbia, including members of TVA’s senior leadership team, community leaders, local, regional, and state-wide elected officials. Construction began in the summer of 2021, with more than one million hours of work dedicated to the project. The additional 750 megawatts hopes to provide enough dispatchable electricity to power more than 400 thousand homes. “These units provide needed flexibility, responsiveness, and reliability for the power grid,” Roger Waldrep, Vice President of Major Projects, said. “They allow us to meet demand during peak periods, like the extremely hot days we experienced in August and September and the upcoming cold nights that are ahead this winter.”
TVA plans to invest $15 billion over the next three years to build additional generation and upgrade the existing system to ensure the region continues to benefit from affordable, reliable power. The expansion of Colbert is part of TVA’s larger effort to build more than 3,800 megawatts that includes solar, energy storage, combustion turbines and combined-cycle natural gas. “Our commitment to Alabama has and continues to remain strong,” Jeff Lyash, TVA President and CEO, said. “We take great pride in the facilities, resources, and partnerships we have built in the state. We appreciate the work that takes place daily to strengthen and benefit the communities we are privileged to serve.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to 10 million people across seven southeastern states. “TVA made a capital investment of $502.8 million and approximately 450 people worked on projects related to this facility expansion,” Jared Mitchem, Regional Vice President, said. “In addition to enhancing the local economy, natural gas generation supports the grid and helps us integrate more renewable energy sources, like wind and solar. Gas generation can be turned on when it’s cloudy or the wind isn’t blowing and keeps our energy supply reliable.”