TVA offers tour of 500-megawatt facility in Steens, Mississippi

The Tennessee Valley Authority said Friday it provided a closer look at a new 500-megawatt electricity facility being built in Steens, Mississippi, according to a post on the agency’s Facebook page.

The facility adds generation capacity to TVA’s system. TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide navigation, flood control and electricity to the Tennessee Valley; it operates a mix of power-generating resources and manages river systems in the region.

TVA and local officials have touted new capacity projects as a way to strengthen grid reliability and support economic development in the communities they serve. A 500-megawatt addition represents a significant increase in available generation for the area and could help meet seasonal or long-term demand, energy analysts say.

Details on the facility’s expected in-service date, fuel source and workforce impacts were not included in the Facebook post. We will provide more information as it becomes available.