Fed utility weighs coal plant switch options, climate impact

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The nation’s largest public utility plans to shut down a massive coal-fired power plant, but wants to replace it with natural gas. That would put the federal Tennessee Valley Authority out of step with President Joe Biden’s administration goal of a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035.

Officials with the utility argue the natural gas move would help pave a path toward more renewable sources and away from coal, while continuing to keep rates low and the electric grid reliable. But environmental groups warn the agency could squander the chance to get away from carbon-producing fossil fuels that drive climate change.

The impending decision for the Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee was a focal point at the Tennessee Valley Authority's board meeting Wednesday, where CEO Jeff Lyash argued the agency is attempting a balancing act. TVA has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels.

Scientists, meanwhile, have warned that failing to meet Biden's 2035 target will only lead to more intense and more frequent extreme weather events, as well as droughts, floods and wildfires. Teams of meteorologists across the world have predicted there is nearly a 50-50 chance that Earth will temporarily hit a global warming temperature threshold international agreements are trying to prevent within the next five years.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Lyash reasoned that electricity use could as much as double by 2050, due in part to a shift to electric-based technology aimed at carbon emissions, including more electric vehicles — a technology the independent federal utility has focused on in recent years.

TVA is spearheading plans for proposed charging sites across its region and has set a goal of 200,000...