On September 13, Larry Cole, in TVA’s
Integrated Resource Plan Group, discussed the Integrated Resource Plan, also known as “TVA’s Environmental and Energy Future.” TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financing. TVA provides power directly to 56 large industries and to 155 power distributors that serve approximately 9 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation. The plan will outline TVA’s electricity needs over the next 20 years The plan will outline various sources for producing electricity, their costs and reliability and their potential impacts on the environment. It will also review ways to implement more energy efficiency and consider types of viable renewable generation that are available. A completed plan is expected to be submitted to the TVA Board of Directors for approval in spring 2011. TVA completed a similar 20-year plan in 1995. A schedule will be available
on the IRP Web site at www.tva.com/irp.
On September 20, 2010 Dr. Howard Hall, Director of the Baker Center’s Global Security Program presented a talk titled “Averting Armageddon: Global Challenges in Nuclear Security.” Dr. Hall also holds the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge National Laboratory Governor’s Chair. He is a nuclear chemist and expert in preventing and responding to nuclear terrorism and was appointed as the third UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair in March 2009. Hall was previously affiliated with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), where he was the radiological detection and response program leader. Hall’s work centers on topics ranging from ways to detect the presence of illicit radioactive material and remove it from circulation to establishing better methods of responding to and recovering from nuclear incidents.
September 27 Ralph Boroughs, Electrical Engineer, Electric Transportation, Technology Innovation and Demonstration, Office of Environment and Technology, Tennessee Valley Authority spoke about TVA’s Electric Car Program. His talk included slides introducing TVA, discussing TVA’s motivations for getting into electric transportation and outlining the projects and programs TVA is involved in. Technical aspects touched on include the relevant codes and standards, charging levels, environmental impacts, electric
system impacts, and economic impacts. Under environmental aspects, he also discussed the energy and CO2 efficiencies of electric transportation vs petroleum.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT
The Technical Society meeting on November 22, 2010 will be an evening meeting of general interest. Please invite any potential Technical Society members you are acquainted with.