Murphy – U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards has been harshly critical about how the Tennessee Valley Authority handled the public over a planned electricity transmission extension in western Cherokee County.
Edwards (R-N.C)) held a public meeting on Aug. 24 about the project. About 50 people attended the meeting, which was held at the Cherokee County Courthouse downtown.
“TVA has neglected the voice of the people of Cherokee County,” Edwards said at the meeting.
Edwards expressed concern in April and May with TVA executives and staff after hearing from constituents in Cherokee County about their issues. The congressman’s office said the TVA assured Edwards that those citizens would have the opportunity for a public, in-person input session.
That didn’t happen, so Edwards held a meeting of his own. About 50 people turned out to the public meeting, including 13 who signed up to speak, mostly landowners whose properties would be affected if the preliminary path chosen for the project becomes final.
Earlier this year, in lieu of public hearings ostensibly because of COVID-19, TVA hosted an interactive website where concerned citizens could learn about the project and post comments.
Some people said they never received a response to their comments. Many affected property owners lack internet and never even saw the website. A few said they were never notified.
Edwards called the process troublesome and impersonal. He has said COVID-19 is not a factor this year and should not have been an excuse to avoid in-person public meetings.
“Community meetings should be held in person,” he said at the Aug. 24 meeting, calling the lack of an in-person public meeting a “promise not kept.”
TVA officials met with Cherokee County commissioners in early July but did not allow public comment. Following that meeting, Edwards issued a scathing statement about TVA’s conduct.
“After assuring me that the citizens of Cherokee County would have the opportunity to share their input on a transmission line that will affect folks’ homes and farms, many of which have been in families for generations, the TVA turned back on their word and did not allow for any questions or input from the audience at a Cherokee County Commission meeting,” he said in the statement, which was released on July 14.
“The TVA, like so many other federal agencies, are out-of-touch with the concerns of citizens in WNC. I continue to demand that the TVA hold a public, in-person session on this issue in Cherokee County so citizens can finally have their voices heard. They deserve to be able to ask questions and hear answers from the federal agency that will have such a potential adverse effect on their property.”
TVA officials say the added power transmission line will serve expected growth in the region in and around Cherokee County. That growth is expected to come from several directions: growing population and industries, a rising demand from electric cars and, though they don’t like to admit it, crypto mines.
TVA officials have said repeatedly that crypto mines are not their mission, but then admit that the schedule to add new lines was bumped up five years because of crypto mines. The added line will also provide resilience to the system in case other lines break down or if routine maintenance is required on associated lines.
TVA is a federal agency that “should listen and be responsive to the people who own it,” Edwards said. He added that TVA is vital to the region and provides reliable, affordable electricity; flood control; and the lakes that form behind its hydroelectric dams contribute significantly to local economies through tourism.
“No one wants to see brownouts and outages,” he said.
Power outages around Christmas affected thousands of customers throughout the region, even as power was being sent to crypto mines in Cherokee County. Customers also report fluctuating power levels resulting in damage to electronic and electric equipment.
Sitting at the table with Edwards were Cherokee County Commission Chairman Cal Stiles, Murphy Mayor Tim Radford and Aaron Melda, an engineer and senior TVA executive. Melda said the interactive website drew 243 comments but apologized for the process, saying his agency got “hung up on the data” without taking into account the limited access.
At Edwards’ public meeting, many audience questions were directed at Melda. His common response was that he would follow up with answers once he looked into it.
Concerns ranged from who was going to maintain the power line easement, how much would property owners be paid for the easements, impacts on property values.
Want to go?
The Tennessee Valley Authority will hold another public meeting at Tri-County Community College’s Enloe multi-purpose room in Peachtree from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12.