Tennessee Valley Authority is calling for a second round of public comments on a project to build a gas-powered turbine energy plant near Caledonia, this time, with a draft environmental impact statement available for the public to review.
The proposed project would be located on a TVA-owned 63-acre property on Caldwell Road, south of Caledonia, which is known as the New Caledonia Site.
Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston told The Dispatch Monday that the “peaker plant” will supplement the renewable energy sources TVA is already drawing from, like solar farms, when renewable energy is not available or during peak times.
“You have to have the availability of power usage for your customers, no matter what time of day it is, no matter if the sun is shining or not in this area,” Hairston said. “Power has to be continually placed on the grid because it’s being perpetually drawn off the grid.”
The plant, Hairston said, would help to prevent rolling blackouts and power shortages by making sure there is always enough power on the grid to meet demand.
“That’s especially important around here because we have large industrial use of power, and they have guaranteed that these industrial areas would have power and uninterrupted power,” Hairston said. “The building of a 500-megawatt peaker plant is integral and crucial to renewable power sources. We think it’s the right thing. We think it’s a good thing.”
The draft environmental impact statement notes the project will result in a maximum direct increase of about 532,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, but since this project allows the use of more renewable energy sources, it will result in a net decrease in carbon dioxide emissions throughout TVA.
The statement also includes mention of a possible Native American archaeological site which will be avoided during construction as well as minor impact on Northern Long Eared Bat populations, which is not likely to threaten the species’ existence.
Hairston said he does not anticipate any community resistance to the plant based on the environmental impact study, since there is already a dual-cycle power generator plant in the county that creates jobs and consistent value in the community.
In December, Hairston told The Dispatch the facility would create roughly 15 to 30 jobs and come online in 2025.
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins told The Dispatch the New Caledonia Site used to hold another gas-powered peaker plant owned by Enron. The plant was constructed in 1998 and disassembled in 2007, the TVA release said. At the time, Higgins said, the plant was disassembled since electrical demands were lower than they are now.
“Ironically, here we are in 2025, with basically — now, it’ll be newer technology, more efficient, better — but building a gas fire peaker back where it was in the early 2000s,” Higgins said.
According to TVA’s press release, the proposed plant would use some already existing gas and transmission infrastructure. An adjacent substation is also still in operation.
TVA, a federally owned power supplier, serves portions of six states, including Mississippi. The power its plants generate is distributed throughout the grid.
Public comment period
Julia Wise, a senior communications consultant for TVA, told The Dispatch Monday that the 45-day public comment period started Monday and ends Sept. 24.
TVA held an initial public comment period from November to January. The feedback from that comment period, Wise said, has already been incorporated into TVA’s current draft proposal.
Since the first comment period, Wise said, TVA released its draft environmental impact statement. The second public comment period, she said, will allow the public to give feedback again before the final plan is complete.
“This is just the next step in the process of the proposal,” Wise said. “Nothing is final at this point, but these are the various steps that we take to keep the community engaged and get their feedback, concerns, comments, etc.”
Wise said TVA is also hosting an in-person open house from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Caledonia Community Center at 205 South St. for county residents to hear about the project and submit feedback.
County residents can also submit comments about the project to TVA via its website at tva.com/nepa or by email to [email protected].
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