NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Dodd Galbreath is a professor and Director of the Institute of Sustainable Practice at Lipscomb University.
"We bring our students to see sites like this because we want them to know that the future is real," he said, standing beside a solar farm off I-65.
Galbreath said the field of solar panels could power more than 200 homes.
"We're definitely going to see more solar across the state," said Galbreath. "It's one of the few technologies where we don't have to buy fuel to get the electricity."
But Tennessee's population is booming. According to the TVA, The Tennessee Valley population is growing at three times the national average.
During a board meeting on Thursday, Tennessee Valley Authority President & Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lyash said, "the TVA energy system we built over the last 90 years will double or triple in its capacity over the next three decades. So we have to build another system or two."
To help meet the growing demand, the TVA announced a $15 billion investment to generate more energy. As part of the push, TVA will also focus on sustainable and affordable solar energy.
"It is due to these factors we're facing that we'll be raising base rates, as the board approved, 4.5%," said Lyash. That means your average energy bill could go up about $3.50 a month.
To help offset costs, the company is focusing on energy efficiency.
"They're probably going to be relying on new, advanced small modular nuclear technology to pick up the largest gains because that's the math that our energy demand is requiring at the moment," said Galbreath.
Whether it's using LED lightbulbs or opting for an energy efficient HVAC unit, Galbreath said it also depends on each of us to power a brighter future.
