Roland supports Plains & Eastern Clean Line project
Recently, Sen. Lamar Alexander took to the Senate floor to express his opposition to the Plains & Eastern Clean Line, a job-creating transmission line project under development in Shelby County. With all due respect to Sen. Alexander, his remarks about the Plains & Eastern Clean Line and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) put his own agenda ahead of what’s best for western Tennessee and my constituents.
I have been and remain a strong supporter of the Plains & Eastern project for a very clear reason – low cost energy, jobs, and economic development are good for our community in Shelby County and the whole of Tennessee.
The Plains & Eastern Clean Line will deliver low-cost wind power from the Oklahoma panhandle region to TVA in West Tennessee. The project will deliver enough affordable energy to power more than 1 million homes every year.
Sen. Alexander’s comments ignore the strong support that the Plains & Eastern project has received in Tennessee. Memphis Light, Gas and Water, the city of Memphis, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, the University of Memphis, the Millington Industrial Development Board and the Black Business Association of Memphis all agree that having access to low cost wind energy will be a huge asset to our region and will lower costs for ratepayers.
It’s no secret that electricity costs have a daily effect on members of our community. In the South especially, higher energy costs put a heavy burden on families. The average Southern family puts about 3 percent of their household income toward energy expenses. Low-income families, however, are forced to spend as much as 20 percent of their income on energy expenses. The Plains & Eastern project will deliver very low-cost power from Oklahoma to West Tennessee, and will in turn lower our electricity rates. According to the Energy Information Administration, Oklahoma had the lowest energy prices in the country last year. Tennessee ranked number 28. By moving this affordable power to our communities that need it, the Plains & Eastern project will help us do better by our citizens.
In the development of this critical infrastructure project, Clean Line has made and followed through on their commitments to local communities in western Tennessee. During construction of the Delta Landing Energy Center, a specialized substation to be located in Shelby County, which will create over 100 jobs, Clean Line has made a $5 million commitment to minority and women-owned businesses in West Tennessee, double the $2.5 million outlined in their agreement with Shelby County.
The Plains & Eastern project is a $300 million investment in critical infrastructure for Tennessee and the nation – and every single dollar will be privately financed. Not only that, but Clean Line will pay Shelby County over $36 million in new tax revenue for the first 11 years the project is in operation, and $5.4 million annually thereafter.
As President Trump has made clear, we can no longer afford to ignore our nation’s aging infrastructure. The strength of our electric grid is just as important as roads and bridges, and the Plains & Eastern project is poised to strengthen and modernize our electric grid. An “America First” infrastructure policy is designed to support American manufacturing, American jobs, and be financed by American businesses. The Plains & Eastern Clean Line meets all of these criteria and more. It is a unique opportunity for Tennessee to be one of the first states to reap the benefits of a reinvigorated focus on infrastructure in our nation.
Everyone on the TVA grid will save money by allowing cheap wind energy to be delivered to our state. I urge Senator Alexander to put the politics of Washington aside and do what is right for the people of Tennessee.
Commissioner Roland serves the 70,000 people of District 1, which include Shelby Forrest, Millington, Arlington, Rosemark and the Kerrville area.