Editing Tennessee Valley Authority (section)

==Operation==
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a government-owned [[corporation]] created by [[Title 16 of the United States Code|U.S. Code Title 16]], Chapter 12A, the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933. It was initially founded as an agency to provide general [[economic development]] to the region through power generation, flood control, navigation assistance, fertilizer manufacturing, and agricultural development. Since the Depression years, it has developed primarily into a power utility. Despite its shares being owned by the federal government, TVA operates like a private corporation, and receives no taxpayer funding.<ref name="about">{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.com/About-TVA |title=About TVA |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2018 |website=tva.com |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=January 7, 2018 |archive-date=December 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171206031147/https://www.tva.com/About-TVA |url-status=live }}</ref> The TVA Act authorizes the company to use [[Eminent domain in the United States|eminent domain]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/tva-relocation.html |title=The TVA and the Relocation of Mattie Randolph |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=Archives.gov |publisher=[[National Archives and Records Administration]] |access-date=March 4, 2019 |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043717/https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/tva-relocation.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

TVA provides electricity to approximately ten million people through a diverse portfolio that includes [[nuclear power|nuclear]], [[Coal-fired power station|coal-fired]], [[natural gas]]-fired, [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]], and [[renewable energy|renewable]] generation. TVA sells its power to 153 local power utilities, 58 direct-serve industrial and institutional customers, 7 federal installations, and 12 area utilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.com/Energy/Public-Power-Partnerships |title=Public Power Partnerships |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2018 |website=tva.com |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412051448/https://www.tva.com/Energy/Public-Power-Partnerships |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to power generation, TVA provides flood control with its 29 hydroelectric dams. Resulting lakes and other areas also allow for recreational activities. The TVA also provides navigation and land management along rivers within its region of operation, which is the fifth-largest river system in the United States, and assists governments and private companies on economic development projects.<ref name="about" />

TVA's headquarters are located in [[Downtown Knoxville]], with large administrative offices in [[Chattanooga, Tennessee|Chattanooga]] (training/development; supplier relations; power generation and transmission) and [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] (economic development) in Tennessee and [[Muscle Shoals, Alabama]]. TVA's headquarters were housed in the [[Old Customs House (Knoxville, Tennessee)|Old Customs House]] in Knoxville from 1936 until 1976, when the current complex opened. The building is now operated as a museum and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.east-tennessee-history.org/ |title=East Tennessee Historical Society |publisher=East-tennessee-history.org |access-date=February 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630145820/http://www.east-tennessee-history.org/ |archive-date=June 30, 2007}}</ref>

The Tennessee Valley Authority Police is the primary [[law enforcement in the United States|law enforcement agency]] for the company. Initially part of the TVA, in 1994 the TVA Police was authorized as a [[Federal law enforcement in the United States|federal law enforcement agency]].

===Board of directors===
The Tennessee Valley Authority is governed by a nine-member part-time board of directors, nominated by the [[president of the United States]] and confirmed by the [[United States Senate|Senate]].<ref name="Board" /> A minimum of seven of the directors are required to be residents of TVA's service area. The members select the chair from their number, and serve five-year terms.{{efn|When their terms expire, directors may remain on the board until the end of the current congressional session (typically in December) or until their successors take office, whichever comes first.}} They receive annual stipends of $45,000 ($50,000 for the chair). The board members choose the TVA's [[chief executive officer]].<ref name="board">{{cite news |date=November 20, 2004 |title=TVA Board Expanded To 9 Members |url=https://www.chattanoogan.com/2004/11/20/58934/TVA-Board-Expanded-To-9-Members.aspx |work=[[The Chattanoogan]] |location=Chattanooga, Tennessee |access-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107181119/https://www.chattanoogan.com/2004/11/20/58934/TVA-Board-Expanded-To-9-Members.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> When their terms expire, directors may remain on the board until the end of the current congressional session (typically in December) or until their successors take office, whichever comes first.<ref name="about" />

===Board members===
The current board members {{as of|lc=y|df=US|2025|05|09}}:
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Position
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Name
! scope="col" "width:15%" | State
! scope="col" "width:20%" | Appointed by
! scope="col" "width:15%" | Sworn in
! scope="col" "width:20%" | Term expires
|-
! Chairman
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |[[William J. Renick]]
| [[Mississippi]]
| [[Joe Biden]]
| {{dts|2023|01|04}}
| May 18, 2027
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | {{sortname|Beth Prichard|Geer}}
| [[Tennessee]]
| Joe Biden
| {{dts|2023|01|04}}
| {{dts|2026|05|18}}
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| {{sortname|Robert P.|Klein}}
| [[Tennessee]]
| Joe Biden
| {{dts|2023|01|04}}
| {{dts|2026|05|18}}
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| {{sortname|Adam Wade|White}}
| [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
| Joe Biden
| {{dts|2023|01|04}}
| May 18, 2027
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | Vacant
|
|
|
| May 18, 2025
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | ''Vacant''
|
|
|
| {{dts|2027|05|18}}
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | ''Vacant''
| 
| 
| 
| {{dts|2028|05|18}}
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | ''Vacant''
| 
| 
| 
| {{dts|2029|05|18}}
|-
! Member
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" | ''Vacant''
| 
| 
| 
| {{dts|2029|05|18}}
|-
|}

=== Power generation ===
[[File:Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant.JPG|thumb|right|The twin cooling towers and reactor containment buildings of TVA's [[Sequoyah Nuclear Plant]] north of [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]].]]

==== Power stations ====
{{main|List of power stations operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority}}
With a generating capacity of approximately 35 gigawatts (GW), TVA has the sixth highest generation capacity of any utility company in the United States and the third largest [[Nuclear power in the United States|nuclear power]] fleet, with seven units at three [[nuclear power plant|sites]].<ref name=reuters14>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSBREA3S0P420140429 |title=Factbox: Largest U.S. electric companies by megawatts, customers |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 29, 2014 |work=Reuters |access-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308123918/https://www.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSBREA3S0P420140429 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=McDermott |first=Jennifer |date=February 10, 2022 |title=Largest US public power company launches new nuclear program |url=https://apnews.com/article/climate-technology-business-lifestyle-kentucky-28d44198e92e4d1aaf6ebcf223c50a19 |work=Associated Press News |access-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318083806/https://apnews.com/article/climate-technology-business-lifestyle-kentucky-28d44198e92e4d1aaf6ebcf223c50a19 |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition, they also operate four [[coal-fired power plant]]s, 29 [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] dams, nine simple-cycle [[natural gas]] [[combustion turbine]] plants, nine [[combined cycle]] gas plants, 1 [[pumped storage]] hydroelectric plant, 1 [[wind power|wind]] energy site, and 14 [[solar energy]] sites.<ref name="powersystem" /> In fiscal year 2020, nuclear generation made up about 41% of TVA's total energy production, natural gas 26%, coal 14%, hydroelectric 13%, and wind and solar 3%.<ref name="powersystem">{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.com/Energy/Our-Power-System |title=Our Power System |date=2018 |website=tva.com |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=January 7, 2019 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412041402/https://www.tva.com/Energy/Our-Power-System |url-status=live }}</ref> TVA purchases about 15% of the power it sells from other power producers, which includes power from combined cycle natural gas plants, coal plants, and wind installations, and other renewables.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.com/power/wind_purchases.htm |title=TVA: Energy Purchases from Wind Farms |work=TVA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731021622/https://www.tva.com/power/wind_purchases.htm |archive-date=July 31, 2015}}</ref> The cost of Purchased Power is part of the "Fuel Cost Adjustment" (FCA) charge that is separate from the TVA Rate. In addition, the [[Watts Bar Nuclear Plant]] is the only facility in the country to industrially produce [[tritium]], which is used by the [[National Nuclear Security Administration]] for [[nuclear weapon]]s, where it is used to supercharge and boost the explosive yield of the [[Nuclear weapons of the United States|U.S. nuclear arsenal]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cathey |first=Ben |date=May 24, 2022 |title=Watts Bar lone source of a nuclear weapon material; TVA increasing production |url=https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/05/24/watts-bar-lone-source-nuclear-weapon-material-tva-increasing-production/ |work=[[WVLT-TV]] |location=Knoxville |access-date= |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318084551/https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/05/24/watts-bar-lone-source-nuclear-weapon-material-tva-increasing-production/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Electric transmission ====
TVA owns and operates its own [[electric grid]], which consists of approximately {{convert|16,200|mi}} of lines, one of the largest grids in the United States. This grid is part of the [[Eastern Interconnection]] of the [[North American power transmission grid]], and is under the jurisdiction of the [[SERC Reliability Corporation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=27152 |title=U.S. electric system is made up of interconnections and balancing authorities |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=July 20, 2016 |website=eia.gov |publisher=Energy Information Administration |access-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-date=January 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102031128/https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=27152 |url-status=live }}</ref> Like most North American utilities, TVA uses a maximum transmission voltage of 500 kilovolts (kV), with lines carrying this voltage using [[Overhead power line#Bundle conductors|bundled conductors]] with three conductors per phase. The vast majority of TVA's transmission lines carry 161 kV, with the company also operating a number of sub-transmission lines with voltages of 69 kV and 46kV. They also operate a small number of 115kV and 230kV lines in Alabama and Georgia that connect to [[Southern Company]] lines of the same voltage.<ref name=clemnelson>{{cite report|last1=Clem|first1=Clayton L.|last2=Nelson|first2=Jeffrey H.|title=2010 International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application|date=October 2010|chapter=The TVA Transmission System: Facts, Figures and Trends|pages=1–11|chapter-url=https://zenodo.org/record/1270775|publisher=Proceedings of the 2010 IEEE International Conference on High Voltage Engineering and Application|doi=10.1109/ichve.2010.5640878|isbn=978-1-4244-8283-2|access-date=2021-04-18|via=[[Zenodo]]|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202734/https://zenodo.org/record/1270775|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite map |year = 2011 |title = NERC Transmission Planning Map |url = http://www.oatioasis.com/TVA/TVAdocs/TVA_Transmission_Map_2011_r2.pdf |publisher = North American Electric Reliability Corporation |access-date= 2021-04-18 |via = [[Open Access Same-Time Information System]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909085921/http://www.oatioasis.com/TVA/TVAdocs/TVA_Transmission_Map_2011_r2.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2016 }}</ref>

=== Recreation ===
TVA has conveyed approximately {{convert|485,420|acres|km2}} of property for recreation and preservation purposes including public parks, public access areas and roadside parks, wildlife refuges, national parks and forests, and other camps and recreation areas, comprising approximately 759 different sites.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chapter 8 – Recreation Management |work=Natural Resource Plan |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |url=http://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/nrp/pdf/finals/nrp_chapter5.pdf |access-date=March 22, 2012 |page=113 |date=July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110191237/http://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/nrp/pdf/finals/nrp_chapter5.pdf |archive-date=November 10, 2011}}</ref>

Currently, TVA manages approximately {{convert|293,000|acres|km2}} of Federally-owned land for public use. These lands are managed as either TVA Natural Areas or TVA Day-Use Recreation Areas. Natural Areas are smaller, ecologically or historically significant areas set aside for conservation, with some areas including hiking and walking trails. Day-Use Recreation Areas comprise approximately 80 different locations throughout the Tennessee Valley largely concentrated on or near TVA reservoirs that include water access points, campgrounds, hiking trails, fishing piers, and equestrian facilities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Day-Use Recreation Areas |url=https://www.tva.com/environment/recreation/day-use-recreation-areas |website=TVA.com |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606173200/https://www.tva.com/environment/recreation/day-use-recreation-areas |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Small Wild Areas |url=https://www.tva.com/environment/recreation/small-wild-areas |website=TVA.com |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=6 June 2023 |archive-date=June 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606173201/https://www.tva.com/environment/recreation/small-wild-areas |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Economic development ===
TVA operates an [[economic development organization]] that works with companies and economic development agencies throughout the Tennessee Valley to create jobs via private investments. They also work with businesses to help them choose locations for facilities and expand existing facilities. Services provided include assistance with site selection, employee recruitment and training, and research.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tva.com/economic-development/the-global-valley |title=The Global Valley |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Needed--> |publisher=Tennessee Valley Authority |access-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-date=March 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318100834/https://www.tva.com/economic-development/the-global-valley |url-status=live }}</ref> A total of seven sites throughout the Valley are certified by TVA as [[megasite]]s, which contain a minimum of {{convert|1,000|acre|km2}}, and have access to an [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate Highway]] and the potential for rail service, and  environmental impact study, and contain or have the potential to contain direct-serve industrial customers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mattson-Teig |first1=Beth |title=Mega Sites Lure Big Fish |journal=Area Development |date=Summer 2013 |url=https://www.areadevelopment.com/siteSelection/Q3-2013/megasites-1000-plus-acre-certified-sites-182827611.shtml |access-date=March 19, 2018 |archive-date=June 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612173742/http://www.areadevelopment.com/siteSelection/Q3-2013/megasites-1000-plus-acre-certified-sites-182827611.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>