TVA Selects Preferred Route for New Transmission Line in Sevier County to Support Growing Energy Demand

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has identified its preferred route for a new transmission line in Sevier County, Tennessee—a critical infrastructure project aimed at strengthening reliability and meeting rapidly increasing energy demands in the region.

Following public input and comprehensive analysis of environmental, social, and engineering factors, TVA selected the route it says has the least overall impact on the surrounding area. A federal environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is also underway.

Route Details and Timeline

The proposed transmission line will stretch approximately three miles, beginning at a tap point on TVA’s existing Douglas Hydro–Pigeon Forge #2 161-kilovolt (kV) line east of McMahan Hollow Road and extending west to the Sevier County Electric System’s new Waldens Creek 161-kV substation. The line will be a single-circuit 161-kV design, built with a combination of single- and double-pole H-frame steel structures within a new 100-foot-wide right of way.

TVA plans to begin survey work in winter 2025 and start acquiring easements from property owners in fall 2026. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2027 and finish by winter 2027.

Property owners along the proposed route will retain ownership of their land, while TVA will obtain easements to construct, operate, and maintain the line. Compensation will be provided based on fair market value.

A detailed map of the project and additional information is available at tva.com/transmissionprojects.

Part of Broader Investment in Energy Infrastructure

The Sevier County project is one piece of TVA’s broader strategy to modernize the grid and support the region’s fast-growing energy needs, fueled by population growth, industrial electrification, and the onshoring of manufacturing.

TVA is making some of the largest capital investments in its history, planning to add over 6,200 megawatts of new, firm, dispatchable generation—pending necessary approvals and environmental reviews. More than 3,500 megawatts are already under construction, enough to power approximately two million homes.

Since October 2024, TVA has built 95 miles of new transmission line and fiber across its service territory and upgraded grid reliability infrastructure at 47 sites. The utility has also added four new delivery points to support customer growth, including new substations in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and Artesia, Mississippi.

TVA says these efforts are part of its commitment to ensuring the Valley has reliable, affordable electricity to support job creation and energy security in the years ahead.