PERRY COUNTY, Tenn. — A proposed natural gas power plant could bring a "generational opportunity" to northern Perry County, while helping to meet the electricity needs of hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans.
 

WOPC has learned that Perry County leaders have expressed interest in the project — both locally and directly to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) leadership. The proposal follows a failed initiative earlier this year to construct the plant in Cheatham County, where community opposition extended as far as the White House.
 

Nearby New Johnsonville has also indicated interest in hosting the facility.
 

Sources tell WOPC that a letter has been drafted — and possibly already submitted — to TVA leadership, exploring the possibility of building the plant on a long-held industrial site along Highway 13 North.
 

“Think of the benefits of this location — near the interstate, very close to existing natural gas pipelines, and positioned in a county that could benefit from the jobs created for generations,” one local leader told WOPC.
 

In a statement to WOPC on Wednesday, TVA said: “TVA is taking a thoughtful approach to meet the region’s rapidly growing demand for electricity. At the heart of our approach is listening — to our communities, our partners, public officials and our Board. We are actively exploring viable sites across the Tennessee Valley footprint that support economic development while meeting the critical need for affordable, reliable power.”

 

Local leaders also point to the Perry County site's location to nearby areas of rapid growth, including Dickson and Williamson Counties. 

We will continue to track developments. 

 

Learn more about the plant and how it operates, by clicking here. 

 

(Images courtesy of TVA.com)