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→July 2013: Colbert Fossil Plant Units 1-4 to be idled or retired in 2016: added colbert unit 5
On July 26, 2010, a federal appeals court reversed a judge's ruling in [[North Carolina v. TVA]] requiring prompt installation of upgraded emission controls at four TVA coal-fired power plants, three in Tennessee and one in Alabama. U.S. District Judge Lacy Thornburg had ordered the accelerated cleanup at the TVA plants, ruling that emissions affecting air quality in North Carolina's scenic western mountains were a "public nuisance." A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision. Appeals court Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III wrote that allowing the ruling to stand would undermine the nation's "carefully created" [[Clean Air Act]] regulatory scheme. North Carolina then sought a rehearing.<ref>[http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2010/07/federal_appeals_court_blocks_r.html "Federal appeals court blocks ruling for fast-track emission controls at 4 TVA coal-fired plants"] al.com, July 26, 2010.</ref>
===July 2013Alabama: [[Colbert Fossil Plant]] Units 1-4 to be idled or retired in 2016; Unit 5 also to be retired===In July 2013 TVA announced plans to idle or remove from service [[Colbert Fossil Plant]] units 1-4 starting June 30, 2016. The plans are the result of a 2011 Consent Decree arising out of consolidated litigation brought by several states and environmental groups for violations of the Clean Air Act. Under the decree, TVA was required to notify EPA of its plan for controlling air pollution at units 1-4 by June 30, 2013. Rather than installing new equipment, TVA opted to idle or retire the plants. According to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, unit 5 of the plant, which operated at only 15% of capacity in 2012, appeared also to be heading toward retirement.<ref>Angela Garrone, [http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2013/07/08/tva-announces-plans-to-idle-colbert-coal-plant-units/ "TVA announces plans to idle Colbert Coal Plant units,"] Southern Alliance for Clean Energy blog, July 8, 2013</ref> On November 14, 2013, TVA added Unit 5 of the Colbert plant to the retirement list. The closure date was not specified. TVA also announced retirements at the [[Widows Creek Fossil Plant]] and the [[Paradise Fossil Plant]] in Tennessee.<ref>Paul Gattis, [http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/11/tva_to_cut_more_than_300_emplo.html#incart_river_default "TVA to cut more than 150 employees at two north Alabama plants,"] All Alabama, November 14, 2013</ref><Ref>Steven Mufson, [http://wapo.st/1adq28I "Tennessee Valley Authority to close 8 coal-fired power plants,"] Washington Post, November 14, 2013</ref>
==Proposed plant conversions==
