JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Staff members of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has recently held a presentation regarding the future of energy production throughout the Tennessee Valley at Chickamauga Dam in Chattanooga.
Among one of the largest federally owned electric and energy companies in the U.S., TVA has long been rooted within Tennessee’s economic and energy-based histories. The company was established during the Great Depression in 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act that aimed to bring economic stability and flood control to the valley. Today, TVA is the state’s largest power company, providing power and flood control to millions of residents throughout the state, as well as in parts of other neighboring states such as Alabama and Georgia.
Scott Fielder, secretary of Media Relations for TVA, explained how the presentation serves as part of the greater American Energy Tour, a major event dedicated to educating the general public about energy production and how businesses and homeowners receive their power. He stated how in today’s time, electricity serves as a vital commodity to not only the valley but nation as a whole. The company aims to expand its power production network to keep up with ongoing economic growth within the valley.
“Energy matters, we need more of it, and TVA is building it as fast as we can,” said Fielder.
Scott, alongside other staff members of TVA, provided various facts and data regarding energy production and its effects within a given economy. Robby Floyd, TVA general manager, pointed out that the company’s Integrated River System, a network of dams that connect to and generate power from the Tennessee River. Chickamauga Dam is a part of this system . Floyd detailed how there are two types of dams that TVA operates: main river and tributary dams. Main river dams such as Chickamauga and Nickajack Dam in Marion County generate power and regulate water levels for the Tennessee River and bordering lakes, while tributary dams can be utilized for either power, or for the sole purpose of maintaining water levels.
“Tributaries are kind of in a different portion. You got power, which we have a number of power dams, and non-power, which are dams that are there for flood control,” said Floyd.
During the event, participants were given a tour of the interior of Chickamauga Dam, having the opportunity to see firsthand how power is generated from the dam and the various equipment and steps utilized to generate electricity to the surrounding area. The dam receives much of its power source from Chickamauga Lake and the Tennessee River, with water being taken from both into the main generators that help produce over 140 megawatts of power.
TVA is currently in the works of updating the four main generators of Chickamauga Dam, while also constructing a brand new lock chamber for the facility. One of the generators, known as Unit 4, is currently being constructed and is expected to be complete by next September, while the new lock chamber is set for completion in 2028.