N.C. vs T.V.A.

This week in the Charlotte Observer the chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Bill Baxter, responds to North Carolina State Attorney General Roy Cooper’s column and lawsuit against the TVA. Cooper claims that Western North Carolina suffers from being upwind of neighboring TVA utilities in Alabama, Kentucky and Tennessee. He cites air pollution as contributing to rising healthcare costs for western North Carolinians and a decline in the regionally vital tourism industry. Cooper writes,

Our analysis shows that TVA is one of the largest contributors to air pollution in North Carolina. In the Eastern U.S., TVA emissions account for almost 900 deaths annually. Coal-fired plants that make electricity are the largest source of air pollution. In just our state the emissions are responsible for more than 15,000 illnesses and hundreds of emergency room visits and deaths each year.

Baxter’s response to Cooper’s allegations and lawsuit is informative to say the least. He counters by placing the majority of the blame on North Carolina utilities.

North Carolina utilities now emit more sulfur dioxide than every other state in the southeast except for Georgia, where TVA has no plants. They emit more SO{-2} than utilities in Alabama and Kentucky, where TVA and other utilities have plants, and twice as much as Tennessee, where seven of TVA's plants are located.

Baxter continues,

TVA has tried to meet with Mr. Cooper to discuss his concerns, twice. He refused to meet and instead chose litigation over discussion. Now matters will run their course. North Carolina taxpayers and TVA ratepayers will foot the legal bills. Be assured, however, our commitment to clean air continues, and we will continue to reduce emissions even more than we already have.

Baxter’s claims about Cooper’s cooperation are disturbing if true. Many in North Carolina see Cooper as a viable gubernatorial candidate in 2008. We can hope his actions are solely altruistic and not a regionally divisive ploy to gain positive press. Baxter concludes his piece with an appeal for regional cooperation, a course that all Southerners should encourage.

The most effective way to improve regional air quality is through regional solutions, such as EPA's 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule, which requires utilities to reduce both SO{-2} and NOx emissions beyond levels required by North Carolina's Smokestacks Act. TVA is now planning a new emission reduction effort that will cost TVA and its ratepayers, including those in Western North Carolina, $3 billion to $3.5 billion on top of the $5.7 billion we are already spending.

Filing a unilateral lawsuit against one utility will not make the air cleaner. The actions TVA has taken thus far are what make the air cleaner, and TVA is committed to further reduce those emissions while providing reliable, affordable electricity to the 8.6 million consumers we serve.

TVA pollution is not just a problem for North Carolina. Southern states need to work together to solve common problems. The people, states, and regions affected by TVA have similar interests and problems. The last thing we need is infighting among neighbors, especially if it’s politically motivated.