A cooperative of Tennessee nonprofit electric providers plans to build a “peaking facility” on about 100 acres at the West Tennessee Megasite to supply extra power during peak demand. The Tennessee Power Distribution Company, a nonprofit “co-op of co-ops,” aims to generate power using natural gas turbines near a TVA substation serving Ford’s BlueOval City campus. This initiative follows rolling blackouts during Winter Storm Elliott in 2022, highlighting capacity shortfalls in TVA’s service area. The cooperative is negotiating with TVA and state authorities, preparing for a lengthy approval process including environmental permits and grid interconnection studies.
A group of Tennessee electricity providers is taking early steps toward turning part of the West Tennessee Megasite into a power plant designed to generate extra power when demand peaks.
The cooperative has its eye on about 100 acres located near a new substation the Tennessee Valley Authority built to help power the megasite and its tenants, including Ford’s massive BlueOval City electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus.
The group wants to resurrect the Tennessee Power Distribution Company, a nonprofit, tax-exempt electricity generation and transmission “co-op of co-ops” created in 1999 in case local electricity distribution became an open market.
The power industry didn’t experience such a transition, so co-ops are considering other uses for the company, according to Mike Knotts, CEO of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, a group of 23 nonprofit electric co-ops that serve more than 2.5 million Tennesseans. The co-ops purchase their energy from TVA and distribute it locally to customers, accounting for about 25% of the federally-owned public utility’s annual revenue, Knotts said.
“This started back at Christmas Eve of 2022 when we experienced a first for our area — which was rolling blackouts — where there was simply not enough capacity to produce energy in the TVA service territory,” said Knotts, who also serves as Tennessee Power Distribution Company president. “So we as local utilities were called upon to, in rolling increments … turn your power off.”
Winter Storm Elliott plunged much of Tennessee into single-digit temperatures that year, and mechanical failure combined with historically high electricity demand resulted in the rolling blackouts. The utility made multiple changes to its emergency communications procedures and fortified its facilities to try to withstand frigid conditions the following year.
Knotts told members of the West Tennessee Megasite Authority on Wednesday that the group sought to ensure this would never happen again and landed on the idea of building a “peaking facility” themselves.
Such facilities are intended to operate only when electric consumption needs reach extreme highs, running about 10-20% of the year, Knotts said. The site would generate power using simple cycle combustion turbines powered by natural gas. These turbines do not generate steam and as a result have little discharge water.
The Tennessee Power Distribution Company would then sell that power to TVA to be distributed where it’s needed.
The long process ahead
The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, with TVA’s cooperation, completed a site selection study to determine how and where the cooperative could “build assets to produce energy that could complement what TVA does and not disturb the contractual relationship between our cooperatives and TVA,” Knotts said.
The study focused on the Megasite property adjacent to the TVA substation — it’s close to transmission infrastructure, the interstate and a natural gas pipeline installed to serve BlueOval City.
Knotts said the group has had “fruitful” conversations with state officials, and it’s time to move on to more formal arrangements. The cooperative is negotiating with TVA, he said, and will soon start the roughly two-year process of applying to connect to the power transmission grid.
Ultimately, Knotts said the project would need a binding letter of intent and then a long-term lease agreement for the land from the Megasite Authority. The project also would need the blessing of the State Building Commission and must clear a federal interconnection study.
Several Megasite Authority board members posed questions about the proposed facility’s impact, including potential nitrous oxide emissions. Knotts said the facility would require an air quality permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
The Megasite Authority board did not take formal action on the issue Wednesday, but each member of the board expressed interest in learning more about the proposal at a September meeting.
Knotts said while he does not speak for TVA, the utility has “stated publicly that it has a deficit for capacity,” in addition to a debt cap set by federal law limiting how many new generation projects TVA can take on.
“Plants like this are going to be built, so our members decided, jointly, we would rather do this, given our service mission, given we are nonprofit entities … than outsource it to a for-profit company,” he said.
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Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The content presents a factual and balanced overview of a local energy project involving nonprofit electric cooperatives in Tennessee. It discusses the challenges faced by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the cooperative’s efforts to address power shortages without evident partisan framing or ideological bias. The focus on practical solutions and cooperation between public and nonprofit entities reflects a neutral stance without leaning toward left- or right-wing perspectives.
SUMMARY: Flags were flown at half-staff nationwide to honor 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk, shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, promoting conservative policies on campuses. Sympathy poured in from politicians and students, though a Middle Tennessee State University employee was fired for inappropriate posts after his death. Former Turning Point Lipscomb VP Isabella Turner highlighted Kirk’s faith and legacy of respectful political discourse. Sen. London Lamar urged canceling future Turning Point events citing safety concerns. Members of Turning Point USA commemorated Kirk, emphasizing his passion, respect, and dedication to dialogue and faith.
SUMMARY: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), a vocal advocate for releasing Jeffrey Epstein documents, voted this week to block an amendment that would have made these files public. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), aimed to direct the Attorney General to release Epstein-related documents and was attached to the National Defense Authorization Act. Blackburn criticized the amendment as a “desperate political stunt” that threatened military pay, accusing Democrats of using the issue for political gain. Despite her vote, Blackburn has repeatedly expressed commitment to exposing Epstein’s associates and combating human trafficking. The amendment was tabled 51-49, with Sen. Bill Hagerty also voting to block it.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-09-11 08:10:00
An assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University, identified as Laura Sosh-Lightsy, was fired after posting insensitive comments about the murder of Charlie Kirk. Sosh-Lightsy wrote, “Looks like ol’ Charlie spoke his fate into existence. Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy.” The university president, Sidney A. McPhee, condemned the remarks as inconsistent with the university’s values and damaging to its reputation, leading to her immediate dismissal. Sosh-Lightsy had worked at MTSU for over 21 years and was assistant dean for student care and conduct for more than a year. U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn publicly supported the firing and called for her removal.
(The Center Square) – An assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University was fired after posting “inappropriate and callous comments,” about the murder of Charlie Kirk, the school’s president said in a Facebook post.
The employee was not identified in the post but U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., on social media identified her as Laura Sosh-Lightsy.
The post by Sosh-Lightsy said, “Looks like ol’ Charlie spoke his fate into existence,” she wrote. “Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy,” according to Blackburn’s post.
The senator shared a post from Matthew Hurtt, director of professional services at the Leadership Institute, that showed Sosh-Lightsy was an employee of the university for more than 21 years. She was named assistant dean for student care and conduct a year and three months ago.
“The comments by this employee, who worked in a position of trust directly with students, were inconsistent with our values and have undermined the university’s credibility and reputation with our students, faculty, staff and the community at large,” said university President Sidney A. McPhee in the Facebook post. “This employee has been fired effective immediately. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Kirk family.”
Blackburn called for Sosh Lightsy’s firing in her post.
“This person should be ashamed of her post. She should be removed from her position at @MTSU,” Blackburn said.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article primarily reports factual events regarding the firing of an assistant dean at Middle Tennessee State University following controversial comments about Charlie Kirk’s murder. The language is straightforward and mostly neutral, presenting statements from the university president and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn without editorializing or overtly opinionated language. However, the selection of sources and the framing—highlighting Blackburn’s criticism and the assistant dean’s contentious comment—reflect a perspective more aligned with conservative viewpoints. The piece does not advocate for a particular ideological stance but centers on criticism from a prominent Republican senator, which could lead to a mild center-right slant in perception due to the nature of the voices emphasized and the context presented. Overall, it remains close to factual reporting without explicitly promoting an ideological agenda.
