Environmental groups sue Tennessee Valley Authority over coal plant emissions
Environmental groups say TVA broke its promise to retire a coal plant and is now running it alongside a new gas plant without the required permits.
The Southern Environmental Law Center has sued the Tennessee Valley Authority on behalf of Appalachian Voices and the Sierra Club, alleging the utility is violating the Clean Air Act at its Cumberland power complex in Tennessee. The groups say TVA reneged on a commitment to shut down the Cumberland coal plant by 2028 in exchange for approval to build a new gas-fired plant on the same site — and is now running both without the permits the lawsuit says are required.
According to the filing, TVA reversed course in February 2026 and instead began investing hundreds of millions of dollars to keep the coal units running alongside the new gas plant. The complaint estimates the combined facilities could emit roughly 4,700 tons of nitrogen oxides, 8,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 1,500 tons of fine particulate matter each year — pollution the plaintiffs say compounds decades of health burdens on nearby communities.
The case, filed in federal court in Tennessee's Middle District, is the latest flashpoint in a long-running fight over how fast TVA retires its coal fleet.
Based on reporting for CleanTechnica. Read the original: https://cleantechnica.com/2026/09/10/tva-sued-for-violating-federal-clean-air-act-at-its-cumberland-fossil-plant/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
