Out of its total 34,615 MW of electric generating capacity in 2005 (3.24% of the U.S. total), TVA produced 51.0% from coal, 20.8% from nuclear, 14.9% from hydroelectricity, 13.2% from natural gas, and 0.1% from oil. TVA owns power plants in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee; 60.0% of TVA's electric generating capacity comes from power plants in Tennessee, and 24.5% comes from Alabama.<ref name="EIA">[http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat2p2.html Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005], Energy Information Administration, accessed April 2008.</ref>
On March 4, 2011, TVA said in its its 20-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) that it plans to increase renewable, nuclear and natural gas power generation over the next two decades, while cutting coal usage. TVA operates 11 coal-fired power plants with 56 active units and three idled units with a total capacity of 14,500 MW. TVA said it could "idle" up to 4,700 MW by 2017, rather than retire the units, so they would still be available to return with modifications if needed. TVA has said it plans to retire about 1,000 MW of old, inefficient coal units. Despite all the coal units TVA could idle by 2017, the company also said it could build a new coal plant of up to 900 MW to preserve the option of coal with [[carbon capture]]. TVA also expects to complete a second 1,150 MW nuclear reactor at Watts Bar by 2013, and two new reactors at Bellefonte in Alabama and other units at unnamed sites. TVA also said it could add up to 9,300 MW of [[natural gas]]-fired capacity by buying existing combustion turbines and combined cycle plants from energy merchants or building new plants at unnamed locations.<ref?>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/04/us-utilities-tva-generation-idUSTRE7236RQ20110304 "TVA 20-year power plan adds nuclear, natgas, cuts coal"] Reuters, March 4, 2011.</ref>
===Existing coal-fired power plants===