The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has announced plans to retire the Kingston Fossil Plant and establish a new energy complex at Roane County in Tennessee, US, by the end of 2027.

The Kingston Fossil Plant has nine coal-fired units capable of producing up to 1.39GW of electricity, enough to power 818,000 homes.

TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash said: “Kingston is, and has been, a part of the success of this region over the last 70 years.

“Retiring these units and replacing them with technology that is more reliable, more resilient and cleaner is not an easy decision, but it is the right thing to do for our energy security going forward.”

By the end of the specified period, TVA intends to decommission the coal-fired units at Kingston and replace them with a new gas-fired power plant.

The proposed energy complex will feature 1.5GW of combined cycle and dual-fuel aeroderivative natural gas combustion turbines.

The complex will include 100MW of battery storage and 4MW of solar generation capacity.

TVA, a federally owned electric utility corporation, states that the new facility is a first-of-its-kind energy complex.

The natural gas generation components are expected to be operational before the retirement of the Kingston Fossil Plant to ensure the continuous supply of reliable power to customers.

TVA power operations senior vice-president Allen Clare said: “This is the evolution of our energy system. This energy complex is the most cost-effective option that offers the flexibility and reliability within the timeline to bring replacement generation online.”

The decision to transition to a new energy complex was made following a public process under the National Environmental Policy Act, which encourages public participation and considers input during a comprehensive review of all viable alternatives.

TVA is also assessing the potential retirement of its remaining coal fleet and exploring options for replacement generation. To minimise operational, economic and environmental risks, TVA is projecting the retirement of its entire coal fleet by the mid-2030s.