From Nuclear Plant Parts To Bolts and Trucks, Looking For Bids On $30 Million Worth Of Stuff

A small selection of the more than 22,000 items up for auction at TVA’s reservation in Hartsville, about 50 miles northeast of Nashville. Image: Compass Realty and Auctions

The agency that produces electricity for all of Tennessee says it needs to get rid of everything from half-inch bolts, to two-ton trucks, and even spare parts from nuclear reactors.  The Tennessee Valley Authority is selling more than 22,000 items it no longer uses.

The items in this surplus auction have a total value of around $30 million. This is not the kind of auction where you can walk in and pick up a bidding number, says TVA spokesman Scott Brooks.

“They validate the folks who register,”  he says. “If necessary, they do credit checks if they’re expecting they’re going to buy any of the larger items.  Of course, they also vet to make sure who the folks are, if there any foreign governments involved that we can’t deal with.”

Also, don’t expect to buy a truck for a dollar. TVA wants to recoup as much money as it can, so every item as a minimum bid. A first round of sales last month netted around $693,000. The next auction is Tuesday.  It’s taking place in Hartsville, where TVA planned to build a nuclear reactor in the 1970s. The project stalled, and now the 1,300 acre site is the resting place for much the utility’s surplus property.