The Tennessee Valley Authority is inviting the public to review and comment on the Preliminary Final 2026 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and its associated Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The IRP is TVA’s long‑term planning study that evaluates options to meet the region’s growing energy needs over the next 20-plus years. The plan offers strategic direction on how TVA could continue to deliver low‑cost, reliable, and resilient electricity to the more than 10 million residents and businesses across TVA’s seven-state region.
The 2026 IRP reflects updated assumptions to align with substantial changes in the electric utility industry. These include impacts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, recent executive orders, and evolving federal regulatory actions that influence the cost, availability, and requirements associated with renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy resources. TVA’s plan also considers the rapidly increasing electricity demand across the region, driven largely by population growth and significant expansion in data center development.
TVA will host a public webinar on July 2to provide an overview of the Preliminary Final IRP. You can go to www.tva.com/irp to register for the webinar or top get more information on the IRP.
Public comments will be accepted through the end of the business day on July 22.
The citizens’ activist organization Appalachian Voices Director of Public Power Campaigns Bri Knisley, stated, “We are glad to see that TVA will allow the public an opportunity to weigh in on the changes to its long-term energy plan. With this change, it’s critical that our public utility also allows enough time for full consideration and integration of feedback prior to the board’s vote on the IRP, which is currently expected in August.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to 10 million people in seven states. That includes 39 Kentucky counties as well as all or parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Republished in partnership with Kentucky Today
