The Tennessee Valley Authority is looking at possibly purchasing approximately 280 acres in the Lockertsville Road area of northern Cheatham County “for possible future use,” according to Scott Fiedler, TVA Public Relations.
TVA has entered into an option to purchase the property, Fiedler said.
“We are currently making technical, environmental, and cultural reviews to determine if the property is suitable for potential future use,” the TVA spokesman said in an email to The Post. Those reviews, which include taking geological samples, have been going on about six months.
“Even when the reviews are complete and if TVA opts to purchase the property, decisions regarding timing and type of development would likely be unknown for quite some time,” Fiedler said.
The news about TVA’s interest in the property was discussed during the Cheatham County Commission’s July 20 meeting. Jerome Terrell, Executive Director of Economic and Community Development, said at that time the land might be used for a solar farm or gas fusion facility. Since there is no natural gas in that area and data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration shows most of the state’s natural gas-producing wells are in northeastern Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau, Terrell said he was leaning towards a possible solar farm development. However, he has learned recently the site is not on a short list for solar farms because the property does not appear to be large enough.
While it is not yet clear what lies ahead for the site, what is clear is that communities surrounding Cheatham County – Clarksville and Nashville – are growing, and technology companies there such as Google are seeking energy for their operations, Terrell said.
