SORBA, TVA win award for trails
The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association's Chattanooga chapter and the Tennessee Valley Authority won a national award Wednesday for their partnership in creating a 17-mile system of mountain bike trails on Raccoon Mountain.
The organizations received the 2010 National Partnership Award from American Trails, a nonprofit that works to protect and enhance the nation's network of trails, according to a news release.
The Raccoon Mountain trails run around a 528-acre reservoir that is part of the utility's pumped storage generating plant.
SORBA Chattanooga and TVA worked hand-in-hand to develop the mountain biking and hiking trail system over the last several years.
TVA buying more wind power
The Tennessee Valley Authority inked another contract Wednesday to buy 44 megawatts of additional wind-generated power from the Midwest.
TVA signed a 20-year agreement with Horizon Wind Energy LLC for power generated from 50 turbines at Horizon's Pioneer Prairie wind farm in Iowa, starting in January 2012.
TVA previously agreed to buy up to 115 megawatts of wind power from Horizon.
The contract boosts the total amount of wind power the federal utility has agreed to buy to 1,600 megawatts. One megawatt of wind-generated power is enough to power about 250 homes.