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Refuting misinformation on renewable energy in Tennessee

Solar energy was “very, very expensive” 10 or 12 years ago, but the price of solar has been dropping for a decade and almost every credible analyst predicts it will continue declining over the next decade, becoming cost-competitive along the way.

TVA’s talking points on renewables reveal a lack of sophistication By Sam Gomberg . Special to the Oak Ridger Mar 07, 2011 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ever notice that when TVA talks about nuclear, they just can’t help include some off-hand remark dismissing the Valley’s renewable energy resources? The latest misleading rhetoric came in The Oak Ridger (Feb. 22) when Rob Manning, TVA vice president for power systems, reminded us how the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow here in Tennessee. It’s TVA’s party line that we’ve been hearing for years, and it reveals how unsophisticated TVA is when it comes to renewable energy.

While TVA has no problem staking our energy future on their best guesses for the price of nuclear reactors in 2020, they’re still relying on 1990’s talking points when it comes to solar. Solar energy was “very, very expensive” 10 or 12 years ago, but the price of solar has been dropping for a decade and almost every credible analyst predicts it will continue declining over the next decade, becoming cost-competitive along the way.

Manning’s claim that there is not a lot of solar energy potential in Tennessee is wrong. The Southeast is second only to the Southwest in terms of solar energy potential. North Carolina and even places with far less sunshine than Tennessee are investing in solar energy because they recognize its potential. Sharp, Hemlock, AGC Flat Glass and Wacker-Chemie are investing billions of dollars in Tennessee and creating thousands of jobs because they see the potential. Ask TVA if it has analyzed the solar potential in the Valley or studied ways to develop this resource cost-effectively. I have, and the answer is no. Ask about coal or nuclear, and you’ll need to rent a truck to carry the studies done by TVA staff.

TVA’s talking points on wind energy are just as misinformed……..

TVA’s talking points on renewables reveal a lack of sophistication – Oak Ridge, TN – The Oak Ridger

March 8, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general