Tennessee Valley Authority prepares in case of severe winter weather
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Tennessee Valley Authority says it is prepared even in the event of extreme winter weather this season.
You may remember the rolling blackouts that hit last winter, along with the below freezing temperatures.
As a result of high winds and prolonged freezing temperatures, the TVA’s grid was strained. Contrary to what some might believe, the grid wasn’t out of power, just suffering from equipment failure.
In a release provided by the TVA, vice president of TVA Power Operations Performance Improvement Allen Clare says he is proud of what the team has accomplished in such a short time to be ready for different conditions.
“We’ve assessed the entire fleet, made immediate changes to our plant equipment and processes and have set the groundwork for long-term sustainable success. Mother nature may hit us hard again this winter, but we have done the hard work – the necessary work – to ensure that we can safely and reliably provide power to our 10 million customers across the valley,” Clare says.
News 40 spoke to TVA public relations specialist Scott Brooks, who said many efforts have been made to keep the fleet up and running for at least 48 hours through winds of 20 mph and temperatures down to -20 degrees.
Such actions include enclosing machinery so that it is less exposed to the elements as well as forming contracts with other power suppliers to ensure they have the proper help they need in case of emergency.
The summer maintenance of this important equipment across the fleet is expected to result in a reliable supply of energy the entire winter, according to the release.
