MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority’s board is scheduled to vote on a proposal to retire the coal-fired Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis and replace it with a natural gas facility.

TVA’s board is scheduled to meet Thursday in Knoxville.

The utility said in July that it completed a draft environmental assessment looking at replacing the Allen plant.

TVA committed to install emission controls or retire Allen’s coal units by December 2018 under a 2011 agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce emissions across its coal-fired generating fleet.

Environmental groups say the Allen plant causes a pollution hazard and it should be shut down and replaced with a facility that generates cleaner energy.

TVA is the nation’s largest public utility, supplying power to about 9 million people in several states.

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