Appalachian Voices v. Tennessee Valley Authority

Three environmental organizations filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Tennessee alleging that Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act and NEPA when it decided to build a gas-fired power plant to replace a coal-fired plant in East Tennessee. The plaintiffs alleged that TVA failed to consider a reasonable range of alternatives that included alternatives containing a substantial renewable component. They also alleged that TVA failed to take a hard look at the proposed gas plant’s environmental impacts, including impacts on climate pollution. In addition, they claimed that TVA committed to the gas plant before issuing a record of decision and made an arbitrary finding that the gas plant was the “lowest system cost” alternative.