A campaign to shake up the Tennessee Valley Authority is rattling the country’s largest public utility. Anti-TVA activists are pushing President Donald Trump to dismantle it—already, the White House has fired board members, demanded the CEO’s resignation, and installed privatization-friendly nominees. (Chattanooga Times)
GOP-aligned influencers (like country singer John Rich) have called the US government-owned TVA “anti-American,” largely pointing fingers at its $12B in annual revenue from sales of wholesale electricity to local utilities and companies.
TVA’s defenders—from utility co-ops to labor unions—warn privatization of the utility could upend the Southeast’s reliable, low-cost power model.
Zoom out: With nearly $58B in assets, 153 wholesale customers, and 99.999% reliability, TVA’s fate could reshape how the US powers entire regions.