The Tennessee Valley Authority met electricity demands above 30,000 megawatts on 17 days in September after reaching that demand in September only once before in its history.
Entering 2026, TVA’s September record of more than 30,000 megawatts was set Sept. 24, 2007. The smashed record highlights both the unusually hot month this year and TVA’s growing need for more electricity generation.
TVA set 12 all-time power demand records in September for any fall or spring month, peaking at 33,270 megawatts on Sept. 3, enough electricity to power more than 19.2 million homes. A megawatt is a measure of instantaneous power use equal to 1 million watts and enough to power around 585 homes, according to TVA.
Record power demands
TVA’s top five all-time record power demands (average regional temperature):
— 35,430 megawatts at 8 a.m. Jan. 22, 2025 (11 degrees)
— 34,577 megawatts at 8 a.m. Jan. 17, 2024 (7 degrees)
— 34,284 megawatts at 8 a.m. Jan. 21, 2024 (12 degrees)
— 33,482 megawatts at 5 p.m. Aug. 16, 2007 (102 degrees)
— 33,455 megawatts at 5 p.m. Aug. 22, 2007 (100 degrees)
Source: Tennessee Valley Authority
Chattanooga set its own 147-year record Sept. 17, hitting 45 consecutive days with high temperatures in the 90s. The scorching weather was caused by a “heat dome,” a high pressure system that lingers over a certain region and traps hot air.
(READ MORE: TVA transformed 20 years ago. These graphs show what’s happened since)
“I’m proud of the work of TVA and local power provider employees to successfully meet demand through the summer and September’s historic heat wave, once again demonstrating their commitment to serving the valley region,” said TVA interim President and CEO Mike Skaggs in a press release.
Knoxville-based TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider, generating and transmitting electricity used by more than 10 million people and businesses across seven states. The Chattanooga region is home to TVA’s power operations base with more than 3,000 employees.
TVA smashed September power record amid heat dome
TVA set all-time monthly records three times this summer, the agency said in the press release:
— June 30: 31,875 megawatts
— July 28: 32,732 megawatts
— Sept. 3: 33,270 megawatts
TVA’s all-time summer demand records were set in August 2007, though the records were broken in winter storms in January 2024 and January 2025.
In response to higher demand driven by population growth, data centers and manufacturing growth, TVA has 4,120 megawatts of new power generation under construction. The agency is evaluating building an additional 3,000 megawatts.
In total, TVA plans to invest $13 billion over the next three years to expand and maintain its power system. The system has a capacity of around 32,000 megawatts, and TVA enters contracts with other utility companies to purchase additional power.
Almost all of the new power generation will come from gas-fired power plants. TVA plans to fully commission the new 1,450-megawatt Cumberland gas plant by the end of 2026. The 1,500-megawatt Kingston gas plant is under construction in East Tennessee with a planned start date of 2028.
Climate groups have filed lawsuits against TVA at both plants, alleging the agency violated the Clean Air Act by not receiving the proper permits to operate a coal-fired and gas-fired plant at the same site. The TVA board voted in February to allow the Cumberland and Kingston coal plants to operate beyond their planned retirements.
Appalachian Voices and Sierra Club filed the most recent lawsuit, against the Kingston plant, on Thursday in federal court. TVA does not comment on pending litigation, according to a spokesperson.
Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.