MEMPHIS - The Tennessee Valley Authority's president and CEO says the utility expects to decide the future of the Allen coal plant in Memphis sometime this year.
Bill Johnson spoke with reporters Thursday after the TVA's board meeting in Memphis.
Johnson said the TVA will field public comment on the power plant's future before a decision is made about whether to convert it to a gas-operated facility or retire it and replace it with a new gas plant.
The Allen plant generates about 4.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough for 340,000 homes. The TVA's website says the plant consumes about 7,200 tons of coal daily.
Environmentalists say the Allen plant causes an air pollution hazard and it should be shut down and replaced with a facility that generates cleaner energy.