Making megawatts count in extreme heat

We’ve had some sweltering days in Alabama this summer, and there will be more before the arrival of fall and cooler temperatures. Teams from North Alabama local power companies and TVA are working in the extreme heat to keep our air conditioners and fans blowing, our food and beverages cold and our TVs entertaining us as we seek reprieve indoors.

We are fortunate to have the dedicated men and women who work through these challenging conditions for our comfort and convenience. Their work started even before the heat and humidity set in, during the spring outages when they identified and resolved potential reliability risks and ensured equipment was ready for the summer.

As we do ahead of each peak season, TVA used our extensive seasonal readiness program that includes reviews and actions to ensure generation assets are prepared to meet weather conditions they are designed to meet. This includes completing corrective and preventative maintenance on key equipment, such as coolers and heat exchangers; ensuring the readiness of heat removal equipment; analyzing and addressing marine growth on key components; and making sure our employees are prepared to work safely in the summer heat.

This past spring, projects – both big and small – were added to outage schedules across the fleet, such as Gallatin Unit 2 Boiler tubes, Cumberland exciter replacement, and a Kingston generator re-wedge. At Lagoon Creek CT, TVA added a unit purge valve replacement and fuel gas heater rebuilds. At Melton Hill hydro, team members replaced a ring header.

Working with TVA Supply Chain, the Operations team ordered several high impact replacement parts identified by the generation sites to reduce unit down time if an issue arises. This is particularly important for large components and other items that have long lead times.

To help maintain reliability during times of peak energy usage, local power companies and TVA also work with businesses in the region to reduce their energy usage when notified by TVA. These businesses receive special discounts for participating in demand response programs and agree to temporarily reduce their power usage when demand or costs are especially high.

Ray Knotts, senior manager of Energy Services & Programs, says TVA has offered demand response programs to customers for many years, but with rising energy demand demonstrated by Winter Storm Elliott, TVA is growing the programs and offering a “summer special” to beat the heat.

“When the heat soars, so does demand and market prices for electricity,” Knotts says. “TVA can offer a good deal to Valley companies to operate like a virtual power plant. In essence, TVA can ‘borrow’ megawatts from our demand response program participants – this means lower rates, a more resilient power grid, and lower bills for those participants.”

Working to find 800 to 900 additional megawatts to help during extreme power demand swings caused by weather, TVA was successful in recruiting customers to participate in the summer special offer. Companies can still see if demand response programs are right for them by reaching out to their local power company or visiting the TVA EnergyRight website.

Participants who sign up for the demand response programs sign a contract that includes a plan for how the customer would reduce power, if needed, and how low they’d be willing to reduce power usage. These plans may include shutting down production lines for up to four hours or reducing heating and air-conditioning in their facilities to dramatically (and temporarily) reduce their draw of power. Participants then receive a discount for their participation in the demand response programs.

TVA has also increased incentives for businesses and industries to help them offset the costs of energy-efficient upgrades to their facilities. Incentives are available for technologies, such as HVAC systems and LED lighting, and are customized to suit unique facility needs. For more information on these programs, as well as those available to homeowners, visit EnergyRight.com.

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