TVA is increasing rates for electricity for a second time in 2024. First, there was "a 4.5% increase approved for the 2024 fiscal year that was approved in August 2023."

Now, "TVA shared that the 5.25% base rate increase will be taking effect on October 1, 2024."

"Maryville city staff are proposing rate adjustments to three of the city’s utilities, with potential changes coming around January." Haven't heard what Alcoa and Knoxville Utilities Board are doing.

On top of the property tax increase last year, these rate increases make it harder and harder to maintain a home.

Then, "The director of Tennessee’s statewide housing finance agency [Tennessee Housing Development Agency Executive Director Ralph Perrey] offered Blount County residents a solution to high prices (during a presentation at the Blount Partnership ): build more homes.

That's all well and good if the infrastructure holds up. I'm not sure it is. Schools and roads are suffering for sure. Then, we have to wonder how the local municipalities are doing. Are they still able to provide sufficient police and fire services?

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett claims there was a power blackout at his property. He has a barn with heaters to keep the pipes from freezing. He said the heaters did not come back on after the blackout.

Now, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett wants to start using more coal power.

"Burchett said he believes that putting more attention on coal energy may be part of a solution."

“With coal, we can get it out of the ground in this area and it provides jobs and also vital heating and electricity during a crucial time,” he added."

TVA responds:

"On Dec. 23, TVA claims they supplied more power than at any other time in its nearly 90-year history. However, they added that this was the highest winter power peak in TVA history."

TVAs initial request to conserve power.

I believe this weather/power event could have been handled better. I didn't even hear about the possibility of blackouts until I spoke with someone in Nashville who knew someone in West Tennessee who thinks they went under a blackout. Although, they live in the boonies with little services anyway. I think those that encountered a blackout could have been warned ahead of time in order to prepare. It is not always good to have certain equipment shutdown without warning.

Why didn't they use the government public alert system to warn people? They use it enough for weather events and missing people as well as testing.

Having said that, I don't think coal is the answer I would fall back on. I'm sure an organization/company as big as TVA with the many engineers can come up with a solution for the future.

Maybe U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett could try to help those people that were negatively affected from any blackouts instead of preaching for coal.

Looks like good stuff

Portland has replaced a section of its existing water supply network with Lucid Energy pipes containing four forty-two inch turbines. As water flows through the pipes, the turbines spin and power attached generators, which then feed energy back into the city’s electrical grid.