TVA increases contracted solar capacity by 60 percent

February 17, 2021

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
February 17, 2021

The Tennessee Valley Authority on Feb. 8 announced a 60% increase in contracted solar capacity since October 2020.

TVA said that a 2020 request for proposals for solar capacity and its Green Invest program added 964 megawatts of contracted solar and 130 MW of battery storage to the TVA system, pending environmental review.

The increase was due in part from Green Invest commitments from Knoxville Utilities Board, and Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Vanderbilt University through a partnership with Nashville Electric Service. TVA will announce additional partnerships in the coming months.  

TVA noted that its 2019 RFP and Green Invest program attracted over $736 million in solar investment and 1,025 jobs, and secured 651 MW in solar commitments.

Currently, with over 7,000 MW of renewable energy, TVA expects to add 7,000 to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2040. 

Almost 60% of the electricity TVA supplies for the seven-state region is carbon-free and this spring, TVA will issue a new request for proposals for additional renewable energy.