
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 23, 1990                   TAG: 9005230579
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BRISTOL, VA.                                LENGTH: Short

BRISTOL GIVING UP TVA ELECTRICITY IN FAVOR OF APCO

City Council has voted unanimously to inform the Tennessee Valley Authority that it plans to stop buying power from the authority in 1995.

"Now is the right time to make the right move for the right reasons," Councilman Don Ashley told his colleagues Tuesday night.

Chief among the reasons is the potential cost savings the city may see from switching from TVA to Appalachian Power Co., which provides electricity to local distributors throughout Southwest Virginia. City utilities manager Tom Adams said the city would have saved $5.6 million on its electric bill for the 12-month period ending Dec. 31, 1989.

The city's largest industries expect to gain the most, though Adams said the city would ensure no one was adversely affected by a switch from TVA to Apco.

The switch is far from certain. Bob Steffy, TVA vice president for power, said Monday the agency will try to convince city officials TVA is still the best electrical supplier.

And Councilman Jerry Wolfe stressed after the vote that "we're only keeping our options open."

Leaving TVA has been discussed in the past, but Councilman Kevin France said he had reservations when such a proposal was brought up two years ago. "Fighting the federal government is worse than fighting city hall," he said.

The city must give TVA five years notice before terminating its contract with the utility.

by CNB