In a Senate hearing this week, President Donald Trump’s TVA board nominees vowed to keep the utility public. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
The four nominees said TVA should refocus on its original mission of delivering affordable power and supporting rural development. Their confirmation would restore quorum to the nine-seat board, which has been partially vacant since April.
Lawmakers agreed on TVA’s public ownership but split sharply on its energy future. Dems urged the nominees to follow through on plans to retire coal plants, while GOP leaders backed President Trump’s emphasis on nuclear and fossil fuels.
Between the lines: TVA currently gets ~40% of its power from nuclear, with coal and gas supplying much of the rest. How the new board handles plant closures could shape its path toward—or away from—its previous net-zero 2050 goal.