Cumberland Fossil Plant

Cumberland Fossil Plant is located northwest of Nashville on the shores of Barkley Reservoir on the Cumberland River. It produces the most power and has the greatest generating capacity of all TVA coal-fired plants.

Balancing efficient power production with environmental protection

Electricity is produced at Cumberland’s two coal-fired units by the process of heating water in a boiler to produce steam. Under extremely high pressure, the steam flows into a turbine that spins a generator to make electricity. In a typical year, Cumberland generates about 16 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to supply 1.1 million homes.

Low-cost and cleaner energy

Through 2011, TVA has spent about $5.4 billion on emissions controls at its fossil-fuel plants to ensure that this power supply is generated as cleanly as possible. This includes installation of selective catalytic reduction systems that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 90 percent and scrubbers that reduce sulfurdioxide emissions by about 95 percent at Cumberland.

View more information about emissions at Cumberland and the steps TVA is taking to control them.

Toxics Release Inventory

TVA is required to report annually to the Environmental Protection Agency on the amounts of chemicals released by its fossil-fuel plants. Check here for the latest data on Cumberland.

Emissions Data

TVA monitors other emissions at its fossil plants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and mercury. Check here for the latest data on Cumberland.