DRAKESBORO, Ky. — The Tennessee Valley Authority said Tuesday that three new power-generation units are online in Kentucky, designed to help the utility quickly meet demand as it rises.
TVA said the new combustion turbine units use natural gas and are located at the Paradise Combined Cycle Plant in Kentucky. It also said the new units can reach full power within 11 minutes and TVA said it can use them when other sources of power aren't available, helping the utility make sure it can continue serving its coverage area reliably.
They add an additional 750 megawatts of power to TVA's operating fleet, which can power around 440,000 homes, according to a release from the TVA. The units started commercial operation on Dec. 31 and joined three other turbines that started operating in July at the Colbert site in Alabama. Those turbines also added around 750 megawatts.
The new units are part of a plan to add more than 3,800 megawatts of power to the grid by 2028, according to TVA. As part of the plan, TVA also said it is replacing older and less efficient units.