TVA Meets Record Winter Season Peak Power Demand

December 8, 2006

TVA today met the highest demand for electricity ever during the winter season, exceeding the previous record for winter peak demand set in 2003.

Based on initial readings, the TVA system met a demand of 30,227 megawatts at 7 a.m. CST Friday, Dec. 8, when the average temperature across the Tennessee Valley was 17 degrees. The exact amount of the peak demand is preliminary and may be adjusted slightly.

The previous record for winter power demand was 29,866 megawatts, which TVA met Jan. 24, 2003. The all-time record demand on the TVA power system is 32,008 megawatts, which was met July 18 of this year.

“TVA power system employees, as well as employees of distributors of TVA power, are on the job 24 hours a day every day of the year to ensure that we meet the growing energy needs of homes and businesses in the Tennessee Valley with reliable, low-cost electric power,” said TVA Power System Operations Executive Vice President Terry Boston. “All of the available generating units at TVA’s coal, nuclear, hydro, combustion-turbine and pumped-storage plants, along with TVA’s transmission system, performed extremely well to meet the record winter demand.”

Valley temperatures and power demand are expected to moderate over the weekend and be back to normal next week.

TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed with revenues of $7.8 billion in 2005. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation

Media Contact

John Moulton, (865) 632-8048
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000

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