Widows Creek-Coal Retirements

Nov. 14, 2013 

Fact Sheet 

The TVA board of directors on Nov. 14, 2013, approved a resolution to retire Unit 8 at the 

Widows Creek Fossil Plant near Stevenson, Ala. This is in addition to previously announced 

commitments to retire Units 1-6 by 2015. Widows Creek Unit 7 will continue to operate. 

 

Background 

TVA has been looking at its overall fleet, evaluating how to best achieve a cost-effective, 

efficient, environmentally responsible and diversified portfolio.TVA is taking actions to improve 

operations and financial health with the overall goal of keeping rates low and reliability high, 

while balancing the other aspects of its mission. 

The Widows Creek decision considered risks and benefits related to demand for power, fuel 

costs, construction, anticipated future regulations and impact to our employees and 

communities around Widows Creek.. 

TVA committed in a 2011 clean-air agreement with EPA to retire 18 coal units by 2018, 

including Widows Creek Units 1-6 by 2015. Units 1-6 were idled in 2010 and 2011, and Units 3 

and 5 were retired in 2013. Employees were told in 2013 that Unit 8 also would be retired. TVA 

is committed to retire Units 1, 2, 4 and 6 by July 31, 2015. 

Retiring Unit 8 and the six other units at Widows Creek was determined to be the best long-term 

decision when all benefits and risks were weighed, and will help TVA continue to bring cleaner, 

reliable, low-cost energy to the people of the Tennessee Valley. 

Key points 

 Widows Creek has 175 employees. TVA recognizes that workers are impacted by these 

decisions. As we have done at John Sevier, Johnsonville and other sites across the 

Valley impacted by changes, our Human Resources and Labor Relations 

representatives will communicate with employees to provide timely information and work 

with those impacted. 

 North Alabama continues to be a key area for TVA generation with one other coal plant, 

eight gas turbines, a nuclear plant and three hydroelectric dams serving the people of 

the Tennessee Valley every day. 

 Coal will remain an important part of TVA’s overall generation mix for the foreseeable 

future. 

 Retiring Unit 8 at Widows Creek will add about 475 megawatts of retired coal to our prior 

EPA commitment as we work to provide cleaner energy. 

 As a result of lower demand, more stringent regulations, and other factors, TVA now has 

either retired or announced pending retirements of 26 coal units totaling more than 5,600 

megawatts at its Colbert, John Sevier, Johnsonville, Paradise and Widow’s Creek fossil 

plants. 

 These actions will result in lower air emissions, less dependence on coal and greater 

reliance on cleaner power sources and greater energy efficiency – all key components of 

TVA’s vision, Integrated Resource Plan and business strategy. 

Other information 

 Construction at Widows Creek began in 1950 and was completed in 1965. 

 Widows Creek Fossil Plant, named for a creek that flows through the plant site, is 

located on Guntersville Reservoir on the Tennessee River in northeast Alabama. 
 Widows Creek-Coal Retirements

Nov. 14, 2013 

Fact Sheet 

 Widows Creek Units 7 and 8 had a combined summer net capacity of 974 megawatts. In 

a typical year, Widows Creek Units 7 and 8 generate about 6 billion kilowatt-hours of 

electricity, enough to supply about 400,000 homes. 

 Widows Creek Units 1 through 6, idled in 2010 and 2011, had a combined summer net 

capacity of 995 megawatts. 

 TVA has taken a number of steps to make the efficient generation of power at Widows 

Creek as clean as possible: 

o Units 7 and 8 are equipped with wet limestone scrubbers to remove particulates and 

sulfur dioxide emissions. These units also use low-NOx burners to reduce the 

production of nitrogen oxides. 

o TVA has installed selective catalytic reduction systems on units 7 and 8 to further 

reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 90 percent. 

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