How does TVA meet the fluctuating demand for electricity throughout the day?
Because electricity generated by a power plant cannot be easily stored, it is usually used as it is produced. When the demand for electricity is high, power plants increase production. When the demand subsides, the plants cut back. Balancing power production minute by minute is the job of TVA s Power Business Center in Chattanooga. A certain amount of flexibility in the system is provided by the combustion turbine plants and by Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant. When power use is low, such as late at night, water is pumped from the Tennessee River to a reservoir on top of Raccoon Mountain. When more power is needed, the water is released from the reservoir through a turbine, which produces electricity, and then flows back down to the river. In addition, the combustion turbines can be started quickly and take only 20 minutes to achieve full power.
