The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by Chint Power Systems - thank you for speeding the energy transition!

Navigating the TVA Market with Gil Hough, TenneSEIA | EP234

In this episode of the Clean Power Hour, host Tim Montague interviews Gil Hough, Executive Director of the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA). The discussion offers a comprehensive look at the unique energy landscape within the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) region, which spans Tennessee and parts of six other states.

Key points:
TVA Background: Created as part of the New Deal, TVA initially focused on flood management, electrification, and economic development. Its energy mix has evolved from hydroelectric to include coal, nuclear, natural gas, and increasingly, renewables.

Current Energy Landscape:
TVA's power generation includes hydro (6-10%), coal (being phased out by 2035), nuclear, natural gas, and growing solar and storage capacity.
About 1 GW of mostly large-scale solar currently operating, with 3 GW more under construction or in late-stage development.
TVA aims for 10 GW of solar by 2035.

Market Segments:
Utility-scale: Directly contracted with TVA
Generation flexibility: Allows local power companies to generate up to 5% of their load with renewables
Distributed generation: Challenging market, especially for residential and small commercial
Emerging community solar sector

Success Stories: Gil highlights projects like the Toyota 30 MW solar plant in Huntsville, Alabama, demonstrating the economic benefits of large-scale solar adoption.

Federal Funding Impact: Programs like Solar for All are accelerating distributed generation and benefiting low-income communities.

Challenges and Opportunities:
Length of interconnection queue
NIMBY pushback in some rural areas
Transition to FERC 2023 and new transmission planning processes
Significant growth expected in solar and particularly energy storage

TenneSEIA's Role: Gil emphasizes TenneSEIA's position as a cooperative partner working with utilities, distinguishing it from more aggressive advocacy organizations.

Upcoming Event: TenneSEIA's annual conference on November 20-21 in Huntsville, Alabama, focusing on the TVA market, with about 500 attendees expected.

This episode provides valuable insights for industry professionals and clean energy enthusiasts into one of America's most unique energy markets, offering a glimpse into the region's clean energy future and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Social Media Handles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilhough/
https://tenneseiasolar.com/

Special Offers from Tim Montague, President of the Clean Power Consulting Group and host of the Clean Power Hour podcast

Free Consultation | Book a free consultation to grow your solar business today!
https://calendly.com/tim-montague/coaching_consulting

Technology Stack Analysis | Get Your Free Tech Stack Analysis: if you’re not using the best tools of the trade in solar PV, you’re falling behind. Discover the Tech Stack That Can Propel Your Solar Business to New Heights
Unlock Your Potential in Large-Scale C&I Solar.
https://bit.ly/solar-tech-stack-survey24

Sponsor the show | Check out our media kit for advertisers and sponsors: if you make solar equipment, tools or software, you can reach thousands of energy professionals each week including decision makers, engineers, EPCs, installers, developers and asset owners.
https://www.cleanpower.group/mediakit

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. CPS America has offices in California, New Jersey, and Texas. Learn more at https://www.chintpowersystems.com/

00:00 Introduction and Gil Hough's background
05:07 Overview of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
10:16 Current state of solar and storage in the TVA region
12:27 Utility-scale and distributed generation in the TVA
19:03 TNSEIA Conference overview
26:12 TVA's interconnection queue and upcoming changes
28:08 Community solar initiatives and Solar for All program
32:16 The role of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
36:19 Closing remarks and contact information

Send a Voicemail