General Mills Combined Heat and Power Project

Proposed Project

TVA proposes to enter into an agreement to purchase electric power from a proposed combined heat and power (CHP) facility at the General Mills Incorporated Plant in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Under the power purchase agreement (PPA), the CHP facility would generate 1.6 MW of electricity that TVA would purchase for a 20-year period. The proposed facility would also generate 5.4 MBTU/hour of heat that would be used in GMI manufacturing processes, instead of burning biogas in a flare. The PPA would be executed through TVA’s Renewable Standard Offer (RSO) program. The primary components of the proposed project include the proposed CHP facility consisting of an internal-combustion engine-generator set, a gas cleanup and compressor facility, and a 3,240-foot pipeline for transmitting gas from the existing anaerobic digester to the CHP facility. The proposed structures would be located on a developed industrial site.

TVA has prepared a draft environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects of the proposed project. The draft EA is available for review at the link below.

Public Notice of No Practicable Alternative to Floodplain Impacts

Portions of the proposed sites for the gas cleanup and compressor facility and the CHP facility, as well as most of the proposed pipeline, are within the 100-year floodplain of Middle Fork Stones River. Consistent with Executive Order 11988 – Floodplains, TVA has determined that the construction of the pipeline is a repetitive action in the floodplain and would not result in adverse floodplain impacts. Neither the construction of the gas cleanup and compressor facility nor the construction of the CHP facility are considered repetitive actions. Due to constraints on their siting, TVA has determined that there are no practicable alternatives to locating them within the 100-year floodplain. GMI would comply with conditions of the City of Murfreesboro building permit pertaining to floodplain construction and utilize best management practices during construction of the facilities.

Submitting Comments

Your comments are invited on the proposed impacts to the floodplain, the determination of no practicable alternative, and other portions of the draft EA. Comments may be mailed or e-mailed to Mr. Nicholson at the addresses below. To be considered, comments must be received no later than March 20, 2015. Please note that any comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the project administrative record and will be available for public inspection. TVA will take all comments into consideration in preparing the final EA.

Related Documents

Contact

For more information about the environmental review contact:

Charles P. Nicholson
NEPA Compliance

cpnicholson@tva.gov
(865) 632-3582
400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11D
Knoxville, TN 37902