TVA Board OKs $975 Million For 1,000-MW Plant in Memphis
The Tennessee Valley Authority won board approval last month to retire its 702-MW Allen coal-fired plant near Memphis and replace it with a 1,000-MW gas-fired unit. TVA considered a 1,400-MW gas-fired replacement plant but opted for the smaller unit to accommodate the future development of renewable generation, said William Johnson,
president and CEO. The board authorized up to $975 million to build the plant. Allen will continue to operate while the gas-fired plant is being built, but TVA did not say when construction would begin. TVA’s board also approved a fiscal 2015 budget that includes a record $3.5 billion in capital investment.

OSHA Probes Worker Fatal Fall

The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration is investigating the death of bridge worker Luis Berrocal, 52, who fell 40 ft after losing his footing as he stepped from a construction lift at an Interstate 40 construction site near West Memphis, Ark., on Aug. 22. He was employed by Payne Steel Erectors Inc., Kenton, Tenn. The project is to replace seismic joints on I-40 as it crosses the Mississippi River. It is not known whether he was wearing safety gear, said an official of project general contractor Dement Construction Co., Jackson, Tenn.