The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which serves seven states, including nearly a third of Kentucky’s 120 counties, announced on Thursday that it met a new high peak demand for the summer of 2025 this week, supported by a diverse mix of generating assets.
On Wednesday, TVA reached a preliminary summer-to-date peak of 31,888 Megawatts (MW) during a system-wide average temperature of 93 degrees Fahrenheit, their highest demand so far this summer. In addition, the preliminary peak on July 29 was 31,563 MW at 95 F, which was just shy of this summer’s earlier peak of 31,644 MW on July 17.
TVA notes that all three peaks reached during the month of July exceeded their 2024 summer peak of 31,096 MW, which was reached last August at a higher system temperature of 99 F. This demonstrates the continued growth in electricity demand across the Valley, with higher usage occurring even at lower temperatures. This is another reason they remain committed to delivering reliable, resilient and affordable power to the people and businesses of the region.
They add, these peaks are still well below the all-time summer peak of over 33,500 MW which was set back in August 2007, as well as the all-time peaks of over 35,000 MW that were reached during both January 2025 and January 2024.
Because the region’s population is growing three times faster than the national average, TVA is investing nearly $16 billion over the next several years to build additional generation and infrastructure while also enhancing reliability. TVA is building about 3,500 megawatts of additional generation and has made great progress by completing 1,400 megawatts and securing 800 megawatts of solar last year.
The Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power supplier, delivering energy to 10 million people in seven states. That includes 39 Kentucky counties as well as all or parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
