The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)—the largest public power supplier in the US, delivering energy to more than 10 million people across seven south-eastern states—announced on April 7, 2025, the preferred locations for a new switching station and transmission line in Logan and Todd counties in Kentucky State, which will prepare for growth and increase power reliability. The selected locations are expected to have the least impact on the area, based on public input from the in-person and virtual open houses, and additional evaluation of other factors, including social, environmental and engineering impacts.
As per the final sites selected, TVA’s new 161 kV Stokes switching station will be located on the west side of Old Trenton Road just north of Hadden Road, Trenton in Kentucky. The power line will begin at the new switching station and extend east 19.5 to 22.5 miles (31 to 35 km) to the existing Cave Springs switching station. It would be about 20 miles (32 km) in length and built using primarily single- and double-pole (H-frame) steel structures on a new 100-foot-wide right of way (RoW).
TVA would purchase about 10 to 12 acres for the station site and a transmission laydown yard (equipment storage area). The following TVA lines would terminate into the station: the 161 kV St. Elmo Loop, the new line to Cave Springs, and the 161 kV Paradise–Clarksville line.
TVA was considering three alternative switching station sites, 42 alternative segments, and 216 alternative routes for the path of the new power line. These alternatives were presented at the open house on December 5, 2024, and at the virtual open house held from December 5, 2024, through January 6, 2025. TVA will now meet with property owners along the proposed RoW to obtain easements for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the project. Property owners would still own the property and be compensated for the easements at fair market value.
Over the past five years, the region’s GDP has grown 2.9 per cent, outpacing the national average. In addition, the region’s population has grown faster than the US overall. Since October 1, 2024 TVA transmission crews have built 95 miles (153 km) of transmission line and fibre throughout the Tennessee Valley, and installed or replaced protection, monitoring, and isolation assets at 47 locations. TVA’s current planning assumption includes building about 5,500 MW of new firm, dispatchable generation by 2029.
TVA has determined that, in various maintenance contingency scenarios, the Todd County transmission system does not provide sufficient voltage support to maintain electric service to its customers due to anticipated load growth and investment in the region. TVA has selected the Kentucky Area Improvement Plan as a strategic, multi-value solution to solve near-term voltage issues, better position the system for future development, and improve regional interconnection capacity. This project would increase power reliability and support growing load in the Logan and Todd county areas.
The appropriate National Environmental Policy Act review will be conducted to ensure that the environmental impacts are minimised. TVA attempts to minimise any land requirements, private property impacts, and environmental impacts associated with this project. Efforts are made during the siting process to avoid or minimise impacts to floodplains and wetlands in accordance with Executive Orders 11988 and 11990. In compliance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, TVA will be coordinating wetland findings with US Army Corps of Engineers.
TVA is expected to begin surveys in the fall of 2025 and start acquiring easements in mid-2026. Construction in the Logan and Todd counties is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2027 and be completed in 2028.