In 1995, in the Energy Vision 2020-An Integrated Resource Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, TVA committed to investigating new electric power generation technologies. These included such renewable energy sources as wind power, photovoltaic generation, methane from landfills, and cofiring biomass with coal. The Energy Vision 2020 short term action plan called for further investigation of the viability of wind energy as a power source in the Tennessee Valley. In 1996 TVA began a comprehensive investigation that lead to identification of over 552 potential wind sites within and near the TVA region. These sites have since been evaluated and the number reduced to 59. Sites were eliminated that had marginal wind potential or little infrastructure or potential land owner concerns. TVA has initiated an advanced wind surveying program with AWS Scientific (wind energy consulting company) using sophisticated numerical modeling and wind monitoring to re-evaluate marginal and moderate wind energy sites and to more accurately map wind potential for the TVA region.
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