Tennessee Valley Authority scraps plan for rural Cheatham County gas plant

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority is no longer pursuing plans to build a new methane gas plant and pipeline in rural Cheatham County, with the federal utility announcing that the gas plant is “no longer TVA’s preferred alternative.” The decision comes after years of intense opposition to the proposal from people living nearby and community groups like Preserve Cheatham County. 

TVA first proposed building a new gas plant in a rural part of Cheatham County—which is west of Nashville—two years ago. The project, which included a 12-mile pipeline, faced immediate public pushback, with community members filling public meetings about the proposed plant. The Cheatham County Commission and nearby Ashland City Council both passed resolutions opposing the plans to build the gas plant. 

The proposed Cheatham County Gas Plant was part of TVA’s massive, multi-billion-dollar gas expansion, which will worsen the climate crisis while leading to higher monthly power bills across the region. TVA has already raised power rates twice in the last two years, in part to fund new gas plants and pipelines. 

Below is a statement from Trey Bussey, a staff attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center:

“We’re pleased that the Tennessee Valley Authority is finally listening to local leaders and community members who have expressed significant concerns about the damage this methane gas plant would do to their air, water, and climate. Instead of simply shifting those harmful impacts to another area, TVA should scrap its plans for a new gas plant altogether and invest in clean and cost-effective power options, like solar power and battery storage. 

TVA must also listen to the other communities it serves—including those who are pushing back on similar dirty and expensive gas projects in Cumberland City, Kingston, and Memphis”