CHEATHAM COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — After years of pushback, people in Cheatham County are celebrating a rare victory against the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The TVA announced Tuesday that it had pulled all plans for a methane gas plant on Lockertsville Road. However, some residents said the fight isn't over yet.

Community feedback, listening sessions, and a recent call from country music artist John Rich urging President Donald Trump and the Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to step in seem to have all contributed to what some Cheatham County residents are calling a major win.

"Thank you, Donald Trump. Thank you, Secretary Rollins. This is just the beginning. God bless each and every one of you, and let's get this thing back on track," Rich said.

"To me, this is a win because we absolutely did that," Cheatham County resident Stephanie Henry expressed. "We were able to stop building on that location."

"Now, keep in mind, they did not pull out because they're the good guys. They did not pull out because it was the right thing to do. They pulled out under threat," Rich said.

However, TVA told News 2 that the decision came after feedback started in 2023 and board listening sessions from the last two years.

The TVA is now looking at other alternatives for the gas plant, and all options are on the table, including another potential site in Cheatham County.

"There may be a site available at the industrial park in Cheatham County that would be better suited rather than the land that we had purchased off Lockertsville Road, so we're exploring that alternative again now," TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks explained.

Some residents were frustrated with this update.

"They've got, again, 293,000 acres, and they need to go and use those acres and nothing in Cheatham County," Cheatham County resident Nanette Malher said. "Nobody wants them."

"It's disheartening because, even though we fought so hard, to hear them say they still want to stay in Cheatham County, it's frustrating," Henry expressed.

The TVA added that with growing energy demands, the energy provider will still need to find a place to build.

"Our territory is growing faster than the national average. That's not going to go away, so we have to still continue to look at all the options available to meet that demand," Brooks explained. 

However, Rich said he would not stop fighting to get TVA out of Cheatham County and mentioned plans to advocate for deeper reform within the organization as a whole.

"There should be new protocols put into place on how they have to behave," the musician said. "They should have to deal with zoning laws like every other energy company."

"There is no need, in my opinion, for the TVA -- much less a TVA that acts like they've been acting -- so today was a huge victory, but only the first in many victories to come, I believe, for the American citizen versus the TVA," he added.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/this-is-just-the-beginning-cheatham-county-residents-stop-tva-gas-plant-but-the-fight-isnt-over/