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Tamarack Valley Energy

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FY2020 Annual Report · Tamarack Valley Energy
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Annual 
Report

2020

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 

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Contents

A Letter from TVA CEO Jeff Lyash

Energy 

Environment 

Economic Development

Communities

Employees

A Message From the Chair of the Board of Directors 

TVA’s Enterprise Leadership Team

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37

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TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 

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Guide to Using 
TVA’s Annual Report 
and Form 10-K

This Annual Report is intended to provide highlighted information of 
interest about TVA’s business and operations during its fiscal year ended 
September 30, 2020. This Annual Report should be read in conjunction 
with TVA’s Form 10-K Annual Report for the year ended September 
30, 2020. The Form 10-K provides additional financial, operational and 
descriptive information, including TVA’s financial statements. The Form 
10-K also provides important information about various risks to which 
TVA is exposed in the course of its operations, which are important to 
consider before investing in any TVA securities. The 2020 TVA Annual 
Report and 2020 Form 10-K do not contain all information about TVA 
securities that is important for making investment decisions. Please refer 
to the appropriate Offering Circular, and any relevant supplements, for 
detailed information about TVA securities. TVA’s Form 10-K can be found 
at tva.com/investors.

Forward-looking statements and certain 
factors that may affect our business

We have included in this letter and 2020 Annual Report “forward-looking 
statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 
and Section 21E of the Exchange Act relating to our operations, results of 
operations and other matters that are based on our current expectations, 
estimates, assumptions and projections. Words such as “will,” “plan,” 
“believe” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking 
statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance 
and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. 
Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions as to future 
events that may not prove to be accurate. Actual outcomes and results 
may differ materially from what is expressed or forecast in these forward-
looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that might cause 
such differences, some of which could be material, include, but are not 
limited to, the factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and 
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the sections entitled “Risk Factors.” 
Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this letter and 
2020 Annual Report or as of the date they are made, and we undertake no 
obligation to update them.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A LETTER FROM THE CEO

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A LETTER FROM TVA CEO JEFF LYASH

Built for
the people

There are four words – “Built for the people” 
– that simply and eloquently describe TVA’s 
mission to make life better for the people of 
the Tennessee Valley. These are more than 
just words, it’s a standard we hold ourselves 
accountable to each and every day.

I am privileged and honored to lead the women and men of TVA as they 
serve the people of the Tennessee Valley. At TVA, our unique, long-standing 
mission of service drives and inspires us daily to pursue new ideas and 
innovative solutions that improve our service to you.

TVA was created and has continued to build on a clear mission to benefit the 
public good. That was our initial mission during the Great Depression. That was 
our mission while powering the nation to win World War II. It continued to be our 
mission during the following decades of American prosperity and growth. 

And it is still our mission today. The challenges are different, but no less 
critical to the lives of those we serve — delivering vital services and support 
across the region during an unprecedented pandemic that has affected 
our families, communities, businesses and industries – and helping the 
Tennessee Valley recover and grow.

While a global pandemic was unforeseen, our employees spent the past several 
years preparing for potential challenges ahead by improving our operational and 
financial performance. 

We’ve worked to significantly lower our operating and maintenance costs, 
improving both productivity and efficiency. These savings are passed on to 
our customers in terms of lower energy costs. Today, customers served by 
TVA enjoy rates lower than 70% of the largest utilities in the nation. And we are 
committed to keeping our energy costs stable for the next decade.

While we are a leader in carbon reduction – double the regional utility 
average – we aren’t satisfied. We are committed to increasing our 
carbon reduction while maintaining our focus on delivering the reliable, 
low-cost energy our customers expect and deserve. 

Because of our renewed operational and financial strength and 
stability, TVA was able to continue demonstrating the value of 
public power by serving and supporting communities and families 
during the pandemic. TVA was positioned to quickly provide 
more than a billion dollars in programs to alleviate hardship and 
help our region’s economy get back on its feet, including:

•  Made $1 billion of credit available to local power    

companies (LPCs) and offered regulatory relief and    
flexibility so LPCs could make the right decisions to 
help their communities, including suspending electric 
disconnections.

•  Created a Pandemic Relief Credit of $200 million to be 

distributed among all LPCs, their large commercial and 
industrial customers and TVA’s directly served customers 
during FY 2021, which can be used to help with electric bills 
or other needs.

• 

Launched the Back-to-Business Credit Program with 
approximately $10 million in incentives to help large 
customers return to work at pre-pandemic levels.

•  Created the Community Care Fund that, including matching 

funds from LPCs and other partners, has already provided 
more than $4 million through more than 340 grants to 
charitable and community organizations to meet local needs.

Even while providing COVID-19 recovery support, we did not 
forego our larger mission of service. Through our partnership 
with 153 LPCs, we continued to deliver reliable energy delivery, 
responsible environmental stewardship and new economic 
development opportunities for approximately 10 million people 
across our seven-state service area.

Those who live, work or build a business in the Tennessee Valley 
directly benefit from:

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Energy costs that are lower than 70% of the nation’s, and 
wholesale electricity costs that are lower than they were 10 
years ago.

Electric rates that TVA plans to keep stable and flat for the 
next decade. 

Economic development activities with our local partners 
that over the past five years have created and retained 
approximately 341,000 jobs and over $45.4 billion in 
capital investment in the Tennessee Valley. This includes 
attracting major companies such as Amazon, Facebook 
and numerous manufacturing jobs that support the growing 
Southern automotive industry. 

Approximately 67,000 jobs created and retained, even 
during the pandemic, and over $8.6 billion in capital 
invested in the region in FY 2020.

Tax equivalent payments that contributed nearly $552 million 
in payments to state and local governments in FY 2020.

TVA’s management of one of the nation’s largest river 
systems, which helped prevent $1 billion in potential flood 
damage in 2020 despite rainfall at 150% of normal levels 
during the wettest year on record.

TVA employee and equipment response during restoration 
efforts following damaging tornados in Mississippi, Alabama 
and Tennessee. 

Significant public lands and waters managed by TVA that 
provide both conservation and responsible recreation, and 
serve as a driver for nearly $12 billion dollars of annual 
economic activity across the Tennessee Valley each year.

It is worth noting that all these benefits are self-funded through 
TVA business activities, not through federal taxpayer support.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A LETTER FROM THE CEO

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TVA at  
a Glance

Nation’s largest public 
power provider 
Supplying electricity to approximately 10 million 
people across seven southeastern states, working in 
partnership with 153 local power companies

Nation’s second largest 
transmission system
In high voltage lines among United States utilities

Third largest nuclear fleet
In the United States, providing over 40% of TVA Energy

Largest renewable 
energy-producing utility 
in the Southeast

99.999% reliability 
Consistently delivered to customers since 2000

56 Directly Served 
Customers
49 large industrial customers and
7 military and federal installations

Return 5% of power 
revenues to states

As tax equivalent payment, totaling nearly $552 
million* in FY 2020 and $5.4 billion* in past 10 years

*Not including the tax equivalent impact
associated with fuel cost adjustments. 

TVA’s Values, 
Strategic 
Advantages 
and Priorities

This is a business, and results count. But what 
matters most is how those results are achieved. At 
TVA, we treat each other with respect and do the 
right thing by accepting individual accountability and 
ownership to resolve issues. In short, we do what we 
say we are going to do.

Our “true north” is a set of principles and 
behaviors that guide our daily actions, our 
choices and our priorities. 

For us to deliver our best each day and every shift, these values are foundational to 
everything else. Our TVA values include: 

Safety
We are committed to the safety and well-being of each TVA 
employee and the communities we serve.

Service
We are proud to serve in the communities in which we live, 
work and play.

Integrity 
We are honest and straightforward.

Inclusion
We strive to treat everyone with dignity and respect by 
welcoming each person’s individuality so we can all reach our 
full potential.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A LETTER FROM THE CEO

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To transform these values into tangible benefits for the communities and people we serve, we’ve established our strategic 
priorities. These will help us deliver more of the right things to the Tennessee Valley we love. Our five strategic priorities are:  

People Advantage 
TVA is a major employer in the region with nearly 10,000 employees 
with diverse skills and roles, people who are doing the utmost to 
benefit our communities and build the innovative energy future of 
tomorrow. We’re proud that this year, TVA was ranked No. 2 on 
Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for the state of Tennessee. 
And for the fifth consecutive year, TVA achieved national recognition 
as a Top 10 Employer of U.S. military veterans. One in five TVA 
employees have served our country in uniform and we are proud to 
have them continue their public service with us at TVA.

TVA also continues to build a strong partnership with our union 
employees. This year we signed a landmark 10-year agreement – the 
first of its kind in the nation – that provides stability for our business 
and strengthens American job security. 

The strength of our people has been tested as never before in delivering 
impressive performance gains and safety improvements. 2020 was one 
of TVA’s safest years on record, with among the lowest recordable injury 
rates and serious injury rates in the industry nationwide.

Moving forward, our focus on People Advantage will deliver a culture 
that lives up to our values and accelerates the impact of diversity and 
inclusion within TVA and the communities we serve.

Powerful Partnerships
At TVA, we are committed to building relationships where we are 
seen as a community leader and trusted partner. We believe our 
customers know we are here for them and committed to meeting their 
needs. This is why 93% of the local power companies we serve have 
committed to long-term partnership agreements. 

Through these partnerships, TVA is delivering strong results that 
benefit our stakeholders. We will provide low and stable energy rates 
during the next 10 years. During FY 2020, more than $160 million in 
savings was returned to Valley Partners on wholesale energy bills. We 
have accelerated agreements to enable each partner to self-generate 
up to 5% of their energy, giving them the flexibility to meet their 
customers’ clean energy goals.

Additionally, TVA is committed to having open and productive 
conversations with stakeholders across the Valley on ways TVA can 
provide even more value to those we serve.

Operational Excellence
Even while reducing our costs and maintaining stable rates, we are 
delivering results and strengthening our multi-state power system. 
Thanks to strong nuclear, hydroelectric, coal and gas fleet performance, 
we delivered the lowest fuel costs in more than 10 years. 

We are actively enhancing the reliability of our vast power system 
and our individual plants. Our goal is to modernize TVA’s 16,300-
mile transmission grid and build on our best-in-class reputation for 
99.999% reliability. And we are investing to build the TVA system of 
tomorrow through innovations like Grid 2023 and our new Systems 
Operations Center. 

We are strengthening the TVA power system to withstand different 
types of challenges. We are working to create a system that uses data 
to optimize performance and predicts equipment issues, which will 
help us prevent them from becoming outages for our customers.

TVA has set clear goals to improve our nuclear fleet performance 
to the top quartile in the industry by the end of 2022 – and lead 
the nation by the end of 2025. We believe we have the resources, 
expertise — and most importantly, the dedicated people — to be 
among the best fleets in the nation.

Igniting Innovation 
We are also prioritizing the evolution of our reliable and clean energy 
supply into the energy system of the future. TVA leads the region in cost-
effective carbon reduction. 

Through CY 2019, TVA has reduced carbon emissions by 55% compared 
to 2005 baseline standards. We are working to increase that number to 
70% by 2030. This fiscal year, nearly 60% of TVA’s power generation mix 
is carbon-free and we are committed to increasing our carbon reduction. 
We will deploy battery storage on our system in the 2022-2023 timeframe 
and our plans include a major utility-scale expansion in solar energy that 
is now under way and is setting the standard for the industry. 

TVA is a lead sponsor in the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative launched 
by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Gas Technology 
Institute (GTI) to further advance decarbonization technologies that could 
help us reach a carbon neutral position. 

Our first-ever Sustainability Report provides comprehensive information 
about TVA’s energy transformation and environmental resource 
management plans. Published in July 2020, it marks TVA’s adoption 
of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework as the standard for 
environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosures and reporting.

Financial Strength 
It takes discipline to plan decades ahead so our energy costs are 
competitive, stable and predictable. 

We are working to control our costs without impacting the safety, 
reliability or quality of our operations. In recent years, TVA has 
improved performance enough to cut $800 million from our annual 
operating costs. In addition, debt is at its lowest level in 30 years, 
providing TVA with a strong balance sheet for investing in our future 
without impacting rates. 

In FY 2020, TVA invested $2.1 billion in capital expenditures and over 
the next three years we have plans to invest a further $7.9 billion. 
We believe these investments, funded by our operations and access 
to capital markets, will help us make the power system of tomorrow 
a reality and deliver the performance, value and economic and 
environmental progress our stakeholders expect and deserve.

Despite decreased energy sales from COVID-19, net income remains 
favorable at $1.4 billion and net cash provided by operating activities 
was $3.6 billion for FY 2020.

As a public power company with a mission of service, that value gets 
redeployed back into making the Tennessee Valley a vibrant place to 
live, play, work and do business.

 
TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A LETTER FROM THE CEO

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A Mission That Stands the Test  
of Time

The discipline, creativity and commitment of our team resulted in a year of 
exemplary performance in FY 2020. Even with the continuing challenges of the 
COVID-19 pandemic, we start FY 2021 with great momentum and opportunities 
to further advance the public good. 

The world, the economy and our industry are changing rapidly. By living our 
values and focusing on our region’s priorities, TVA is committed to delivering on 
a mission that is still as important today as it was when Congress passed the 
TVA Act in 1933.

In this recent pandemic, TVA’s women and men were deemed “essential 
workers” – a label I believe they carry even in the best of times. Our goal is to 
do more than just keep the lights on in a seven-state region. We strive to answer 
the call and deliver what the people we serve need when they need it the most.

I am optimistic about the future of TVA and our region. My optimism is rooted in 
what I believe sets us apart – our people.

Jeff Lyash

   
TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ENERGY

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Energy

Robust and Diverse
Energy Portfolio

Since our founding in 1933, TVA has 
recognized that energy is the fuel that drives 
the public good. Tapping into the region’s vast 
hydroelectric potential – the original renewable 
power source – we quickly energized the area, 
creating better living and opportunities at home 
and at work while powering our nation’s defense 
during multiple wars.

Today, TVA is the largest public power provider in the U.S. and one of the nation’s largest 
power producers. TVA partners with 153 local power companies to serve approximately 
10 million people and over 750,000 businesses across a seven-state area. We operate 
the nation’s third largest nuclear fleet and second largest transmission network, and we 
produce more renewable energy than any other utility system in the Southeast.

Our robust and diverse power system allows us to consistently generate more power 
from the lowest-cost source. Our power is reliable – 99.999% reliable since 2000 – and 
increasingly clean with nearly 60% coming from carbon-free sources in FY 2020.

We believe it’s this combination of reliability and sustainability, offered at rates that are lower 
today than they were a decade ago, that attracts and retains new economic opportunities 
to the area. We also believe that our innovative work, evolving energy generation and our 
delivery will continue to drive an even brighter future for the people we serve.

“Since 1933, TVA has been 
committed to providing public 
power in the Tennessee Valley by 
partnering with those best suited to 
understand local needs, which are 
the local communities themselves. 
Erwin Utilities is proud to have 
partnered with TVA to provide safe, 
reliable and efficient service to the 
people of Erwin and Unicoi County 
since 1945. We look forward to 
TVA’s continued partnership to 
preserve and support local power 
companies, large and small, to 
ensure that each community, 
regardless of size, is able to 
provide public power that meets 
unique local needs.” 

Lee H. Brown 
President and CEO,  
Erwin Utilities

Nuclear

Hydro

Wind & Solar

Coal

Gas

*Chart depicts both generated and purchased power within 
respective resource types. In addition to power supply sources 
included here, TVA offers energy efficiency programs that effectively 
reduced FY20 energy needs by about 2,300 GWh or 1.5%.

“During these extraordinary times, the benefits of public 
power have never been more evident. As other areas 
of the country experience rolling blackouts, millions of 
residents across the Valley continue to enjoy some of 
the lowest electric rates and highest levels of reliability 
anywhere in the country, because of TVA and its 
leadership. As the impacts of the pandemic became 
apparent, not only did TVA immediately step forward in 
its regulatory role to provide each LPC with the ability 
to offer flexibility in terms of payments and suspension 
of service, but it also provided much needed financial 
assistance to our customers through the Community 
Care Fund.”

Gregory J. Fay  
CEO and General Manager, CUB

Innovative
TVA is incorporating modern technology into grid operations 
that will help prevent outages and restore power more quickly, 
as well as give us more control over how the grid operates 
and behaves. This work helps address market demands that 
require a more flexible system that can integrate solar power, 
automation, electric vehicles and more.

Clean
As renewable resources become less expensive and more 
advanced, we are developing innovative new energy systems 
in coordination with LPCs to further reduce our carbon 
emissions and provide customers with cleaner power without 
sacrificing reliability or cost. 

Reliable
TVA has delivered 99.999% reliability since the year 2000 
across 16,300 miles of transmission lines. We continually 
invest in new transmission lines and facilities to ensure we can 
provide power reliably where and when needed, even in the 
most demanding conditions of heat and cold. 

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ENERGYLow Cost
Because of the diverse make-up of our energy portfolio and 
our efficient operations, TVA has kept energy rates low and 
stable. TVA rates are lower than 70% of the top 100 U.S. 
utilities. Thanks to strong nuclear and hydro performance, we 
delivered the lowest fuel costs in over 10 years, and we are 
working to keep electricity rates stable for the next decade.

Safe
2020 was one of TVA’s safest years on record, and compared 
with industry peers nationwide, TVA has one of the lowest 
rates in both recordable injuries and serious injuries. TVA’s 
focus on reducing serious injuries using innovative trend 
tracking and metrics, strengthening employee engagement 
in vital safety behaviors and enhancing governance and 
oversight through the local Health and Safety Committees has 
led to TVA’s impressive safety record.

Partnerships
In addition to keeping our energy systems low-cost, clean, 
reliable and safe, we are equally focused on our valuable 
customer partnerships. Currently, 93% of LPCs have committed 
to long-term partnership agreements with TVA, which means 
together we will help further modernize the region’s power 
system and better serve the people in the Valley. We’ve also 
accelerated agreements that enable partners to self-generate up 
to 5% of their energy needs, giving them more flexibility to meet 
their customers’ unique needs or clean energy goals.

Our partnerships extend across the country as we identify the 
best suppliers in the industry to provide products and services 
that meet TVA’s requirements. TVA is committed to conducting 
all our activities with a high level of integrity to maintain public 
confidence, and our suppliers must share this TVA commitment 
to integrity. In FY 2020, TVA spent almost $2.9 billion with U.S. 
based suppliers, purchasing a wide variety of materials and 
services, including equipment, repairs, professional services 
and more.

Also, since its inception, TVA has proudly supported national 
defense efforts, including powering the initial Manhattan Project 
research and World War II production of aluminum. Today, TVA 
partners with Oak Ridge National Laboratory on cutting-edge 
research and also produces tritium for the nation’s nuclear 
defense program.

“TVA and Local Power Companies can help determine 
cost-effective ways to take advantage of technology 
advances to innovate the power industry. Our 
partnership is uniquely suited to seek answers to 
tough challenges, like cost-effectively integrating 
distributed energy resources into the grid, building 
new approaches without burdening those who can 
least afford it and pursuing environmental justice 
without skyrocketing costs. Public power is well 
suited to navigate uncertain waters without unduly 
increasing costs to end-use customers.”

Wes Kelley  
President and CEO, Huntsville Utilities

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Environment

TVA leads the region in carbon reduction. But we aren’t 
satisfied. TVA is committed to increasing our carbon 
reduction efforts while maintaining our commitment to 
delivering the low-cost, reliable energy our customers 
expect and deserve.

Carbon reduction is at the center of TVA’s sustainability strategy. Through CY 2019, TVA has achieved 
a 55% reduction in its carbon emissions compared to 2005 baseline standards. We are working to 
increase that number to 70% by 2030 and planning additional reductions beyond 2030. We are striving 
to build the clean energy system of tomorrow today and we are working on innovative technologies that 
we believe will deliver meaningful, impactful progress.

This year, we issued our first Sustainability Report to highlight TVA’s plans and progress as a business 
and community partner to build a stronger, more sustainable future together. The report uses the 
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as the standard for TVA environmental, social and governance (ESG) 
disclosures and reporting to increase transparency to our stakeholders and align our strategy with the 
United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

TVA’s sustainability report is a roadmap of our progress to date across the entire Tennessee Valley. We 
believe our commitment to carbon-free energy is essential for the environment and our ability to attract 
and retain major businesses and customers seeking to meet their own ambitious sustainability goals. 
We believe it improves our delivery of reliable, low-cost and increasingly renewable energy; deepens our 
care of the Tennessee River system and public lands and strengthens our ability to attract investment in 
the Valley by major businesses that create jobs and support economic growth. 

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ENERGY 
 
19

Maintained flat effective wholesale 
power rates over the past seven years 
While investing over $15 billion in the power system and 
reducing debt by over $6 billion

Carbon-emission rate 22% 
below the national average
Based on the latest data from 2019

Preserve the rich cultural and 
historic resources in our area

Operate and maintain 49 dams  
Along the 652-mile Tennessee River system, providing 
flood control, river navigation and water supply

Support protection of water, 
land and air species  
In one of the most bio-diverse areas of North America

Generate nearly $12 billion per year  
In economic benefits through outdoor recreation activities 
for the Tennessee Valley along the waterways

Battery Storage

Already a leader in hydroelectric power generation, TVA 
is exploring grid-scale, battery energy-storage systems. 
In September 2020, we announced our first TVA-owned 
battery-energy storage system will be installed near the East 
Tennessee town of Vonore, about 35 miles southwest of 
Knoxville. When operational in 2022, we expect the battery 
energy system will be able to store 40 megawatt-hours 
of energy to supplement the high-quality power that TVA 
provides to its customers. That is enough electricity to power 
more than 11,000 homes for three hours. This project also 
will be a testbed for the positive effects batteries can have 
on TVA’s transmission system. The goal is to be ready to add 
more battery-energy storage systems in a relatively short time 
as costs for this technology continue to decrease. 

Customer Carbon Awards  
and Support 
In an effort to encourage energy efficiency, TVA established 
annual carbon reduction awards for the top performing and 
most-improved companies across the Valley. TVA currently 
offers two awards for both directly served customers 
and LPC-served businesses to commemorate their 
accomplishments on environmental excellence in the Valley: 
1) Leadership Circle – for those achieving the lowest emission 
rates in a year and 2) Most Improved – for those with the most 
year-over-year carbon emission improvement.

River Management Climate 
Change Impact Assessment
In FY 2020 – the wettest fiscal year on record – we estimate 
TVA’s river management activities helped prevent an estimated 
$1 billion in flood damage. As part of TVA’s role as keeper of 
the Tennessee River, we work to assess – and mitigate – the 
possible impacts of climate change on the Tennessee River 
system, utilizing national climate data. For example, outputs 
from the sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 
(CMIP6) will be sampled to adjust TVA’s long-term temperature 
and precipitation records to appropriately reflect the potential 
future climate. These adjusted forecasts will then be run 
through a long continuous simulation and series of short flood 
simulations. The river system inflows, river flows and reservoir 
operations will be modeled to create a realistic picture of the 
future river, including flood risk reduction, river navigation, 
hydroelectric power production and water quality. We take our 
role as manager of the vibrant and beautiful Tennessee River 
very seriously, and we know many people across the Valley 
depend on our addressing potential impacts on the river.

Green Programs
TVA tracks renewable energy commitments and claims, 
in part, through the management of renewable energy 
certificates (RECs). This mechanism allows businesses and 
individuals to purchase RECs through TVA to meet their 
renewable energy and sustainability goals. TVA offers Green 
Programs in partnership with LPCs, which makes it easy 
for end-use consumers to purchase RECs for their personal 
sustainability goals.

Clean Energy and our Low- 
Carbon Future

This fiscal year, nearly 60% of TVA’s power generation mix is 
carbon-free. Through calendar year 2019, we have reduced 
carbon emissions from our plants by 55% compared to 2005 
levels – and we plan to go even further. We are currently on 
path to reduce carbon emission rates 70% from 2005 levels 
by 2030. TVA is a lead sponsor of the Low-Carbon Resources 
Initiative launched by the Electric Power Research Institute 
(EPRI) and the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) to advance 
decarbonization technologies that could help us achieve a 
carbon net neutral position.

Solar

The price of renewable resources, particularly solar, 
continues to decline; and consumer demand for renewable 
and distributed energy resources is growing. At TVA, we 
are actively adjusting and expanding our business model to 
incorporate these resources and we are collaborating with 
LPCs on several renewable projects. We have contracted for 
additional solar that increased total operating and contracted 
capacity approximately 70% in FY 2020 – and we are currently 
evaluating multiple major utility-scale projects up to 200 
megawatts each that resulted from an RFP issued in March 
2020. Projects are expected to be announced in late 2020 and 
expected to be brought online by the end of 2023.

Solar Power Partnership 

In 2019, TVA partnered with East Mississippi Electric 
Power Association, the Department of the Navy and 
solar power company Silicon Ranch on a 6 megawatt 
solar facility at the Naval Air Station in Meridian, 
Mississippi. The facility includes more than 15,000 
solar photovoltaic panels that produce enough solar 
energy to power more than 750 homes. This solar 
power site provides clean, renewable power to the 
electric grid at a cost-competitive rate, and it reflects 
TVA’s ongoing commitment to provide local renewable 
energy generation as a fully integrated part of the 
larger power system.

Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) and TVA’s Chris 
Hansen were honored as 2020 Solar Champions by 
the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association 
(TenneSEIA). Hansen led the development of TVA’s 
portfolio of renewable options, including the Green 
Invest program. KUB is the first local power company 
to participate, securing 212 megawatts of new-to-the-
grid solar power for its customers. We expect KUB’s 
investment in solar to generate an amount equal to 
approximately 8% of KUB’s annual electric load, the 
equivalent of powering 35,000 average homes.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ENVIRONMENTTVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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Advancing the 
Economy of the 
Tennessee Valley

TVA Economic Development serves the seven states that make 
up the TVA service area: Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, 
Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. Through our 
partnerships with other economic development organizations 
— regional, state and community organizations — we offer site 
selection services, incentives, research and technical assistance 
to help companies locate, stay and expand existing operations 
in the Tennessee Valley. This strategic approach has delivered 
record-setting economic development success over the past five 
years Valley-wide.

Job Creation and Capital Investment (Approximate)

Economic 
Development

Attracted and Retained Approximately
341,000 Jobs and 
over $45.4 Billion
Direct Investment
in the Valley 
FY16 – FY20

Top Utility in 
Economic 
Development 
15 Consecutive Years 
By Site Selection Magazine

Notable Wins 

Boeing, LG Electronics, Volkswagen, Amazon, 
Alliance Bernstein, Bridgestone, Denso, 
Facebook, Google, Nokian Tires, Mazda-
Toyota, Tyson, Nissan, Philips Healthcare

TVA delivers low energy costs, 
high reliability and clean energy 
that customers and businesses 
demand. We believe these powerful 
competitive advantages, combined 
with TVA’s industry-leading 
economic development program, 
have successfully attracted a wide 
variety of industrial, manufacturing 
and office-related jobs to the 
Tennessee Valley.

TVA’s strong track record has continued amid the economic 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In FY 2020, TVA helped 
create and retain approximately 67,000 jobs and over 
$8.6 billion in capital investment. We attracted companies 
to bring innovative industries and greater opportunities 
for businesses and working people in the cities and rural 
communities we serve. In the past five years alone, TVA has 
helped deliver approximately 341,000 jobs and over $45.4 
billion in capital investment to the Tennessee Valley.

Our strong business program allowed us to direct 80% of all 
economic development funds back to local businesses that 
advance the bulk of economic activity and job creation in 
the Valley.

Driving Opportunities with 
Customers and Communities

At TVA, no two economic 
development projects are the 
same. We continue to learn 
and enhance our programs 
based on the direct feedback 
we hear from all our partners – 
from CEOs to site workers. We 
develop innovative solutions 
that advance the public 
good and benefit the region, 
employers and communities in 
the areas we serve. 

Google
Learning from our clients makes us better. TVA worked 
with Google to attract data centers to the region through a 
$600 million capital expenditure program that created nearly 
70 jobs. Low energy costs, 99.999% reliability and clean, 
renewable energy to meet Google’s carbon goals were the 
winning factors. The Google data center in Scottsboro, 
Alabama changed the landscape and improved school 
systems and livability in the area, resulting in positive impacts 
for other small, minority and women-owned businesses. 
Data center expertise enabled TVA to attract Facebook and 
other tech companies to the region and the need for cloud 
computing and data services is only growing with COVID-19.

Amazon
Amazon announced plans in November 2018 to locate an 
Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville, Tennessee. 
Plans for this project include a 5,000-person operations 
center, including positions in information technology, customer 
interfacing and research and development. The projected 
capital investment is approximately $230 million and with 
plans to use up to 5 megawatts of power. This announcement 
represents the single largest initial jobs announcement in TVA 
Economic Development history. 

TVA worked on the Amazon headquarters project. Through 
that work, and because of the State of Tennessee and TVA’s 
relationship with the company, Amazon selected Nashville as 
the right fit for its Center of Excellence. 

Mazda / Toyota
In 2018, Mazda Toyota announced plans to locate an 
automotive original equipment manufacturing facility on 
a TVA-Certified Megasite in Huntsville, Alabama. The 
announcement included plans to create 4,000 new jobs and 
invest $1.4 billion.

The company has since announced plans to increase 
investment in the Huntsville, Alabama facility by $830 million. 
This additional commitment brings the total investment in the 
state-of-the-art facility to $2.3 billion, adding new cutting-edge 
technologies to its production lines and providing enhanced 
training to its workforce.

Since the first announcement, Mazda Toyota suppliers have 
planned new facilities on-site and nearby in Limestone County. 
So far, those suppliers have announced nearly 1,800 new jobs 
and $600 million in new investment. Additionally, numerous 
existing suppliers in the region have added new contracts to 
serve the operations. Including the supplier effect, the project 
totals nearly 6,000 new jobs and $3 billion in investment.

23

Helping Rural Communities 
Compete for Jobs and Capital

Supporting Businesses 
During COVID-19

TVA is no stranger to economic hardship. The agency 
and its unique, long-standing mission of service were 
born in the Great Depression. Our mission is as relevant 
today as it was when TVA was founded. Throughout the 
unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, TVA has continued 
to support existing businesses, recruit new businesses 
and jobs and enhance community development.

In May 2020, TVA made certain modifications to its 
Investment Credit program to support the continued 
operations and recovery of participating customers 
experiencing financial and operational hardships as a 
result of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic 
downturn.  

Additionally, the Special Opportunity County (SOC) 
Telework Technology Grant program has been 
established to provide technological equipment to our 
most economically distressed communities as they adapt 
to the new telework environment.

Despite the challenges we’ve faced this year, we are 
still seeing new companies coming to the region and 
delivered strong numbers with approximately 67,000 
jobs attracted or retained and over $8.6 billion of capital 
investment in FY 2020.

Over half of TVA projects in FY 2020 were located in rural 
communities, resulting in $3.8 billion of capital investment 
and 30,500 jobs. More than 85% of Valley communities are 
designated as a Rural or Special Opportunity County (SOC) 
and TVA Economic Development has designed programs 
tailored to meet the needs of these areas.

InvestPrep product development program: 
An innovative product development program that 
leverages funds to help communities prepare sites and 
buildings and ultimately become more marketable for 
development. The success of the InvestPrep program 
has resulted in more than $1 billion in capital investment 
over the past eight years and 5,000 jobs from company 
announcements across the Tennessee Valley.

Rural Leadership Institute: 
A program that provides professional development and 
training to rural economic development professionals for 
greater leadership positions in their communities. 

Rural Economic Development Cabinet: 
An eight-member think tank of rural economic 
development professionals that helps generate new ideas 
and serves as a sounding board for concepts specific to 
rural communities.

Rural Certified Communities: 
A comprehensive certification program – generated by 
the Rural Economic Development Cabinet – provides 
economic development organizations with independent and 
authoritative feedback on their operation and structure. 

Co-Working Space Initiative: 
Fosters a stronger co-working space in which workers 
for different companies share office space. This Valley-
wide initiative provides additional flexibility in work 
environments and encourages more innovation efforts as 
the number of entrepreneurs, freelancers, remote workers 
and small businesses grows. A co-working space grant 
opportunity has been launched in SOC/Rural counties 
to assist with start-up enhancement expenses and 
educational programming.

SOC Performance Grant: 
A program through which TVA makes investments in 
competitive economic development projects in SOC 
Counties throughout the TVA region. This program assists 
smaller economic development projects that will be 
impactful for communities with greater economic needs.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTTVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | COMMUNITIES

24

25

Communities

TVA’s long-standing mission of service 
is to serve the people of the Tennessee 
Valley to make life better. 

Our mission continues to be as relevant 
today as it was when TVA was founded 
in 1933. At the core of our mission 
is providing clean, reliable, low-cost 
electricity; creating jobs through robust 
economic development efforts and 
environmental stewardship programs 
that protect and enhance some of the 
most beautiful and productive lands 
and waterways in the United States. 
At TVA, we are committed to pursuing 
new ideas and innovative solutions that 
improve service to our customers.

Community Care Fund: Helping 
Our Neighbors During COVID-19 

Our nation and world experienced unprecedented hardship 
this year with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tennessee Valley 
was no exception, and our communities felt the impact. 

Consistent with our mission to serve, TVA moved quickly to 
launch the Community Care Fund in April 2020 to help address 
hardships and challenges created by the pandemic. The 
fund was an immediate way to give back to the community, 
providing relief and easing the burdens families and 
businesses are experiencing during this time of uncertainty. 
The fund leverages the strength of the Tennessee Valley Public 
Power Model to serve communities and customers in need. 
We are honored to give back and support local communities 
during this challenging time. 

Additional Community Support 
through the $200M Pandemic 
Relief Credit 

To help communities and businesses recover more quickly from 
the pandemic, TVA extended a special $200 million Pandemic 
Relief Credit for the coming fiscal year for LPCs, their large 
commercial and industrial customers and TVA’s directly served 
customers. This temporary wholesale rate reduction allows 
each customer to apply the savings in the best way possible 
to invest in their communities and support those they serve. 
That means $200 million is going back into communities in the 
form of retail rate reductions, bill assistance for those in need, 
upgraded system infrastructure to maintain reliability and more.

Community 
Care Fund

April - September 2020

Partnered with 130 
Local power companies

Provided more than 340
grants to charitable and 
community organizations

Over $4 million
In local contributions & TVA matching funds to address 
hardships created by the COVID-19 pandemic 

Making the Tennessee Valley a 
Better Place for Everyone 

Quality of life is central to economic growth. We understand the 
value of developing sustainable programs in a way that also 
sustains resources and enhances the lives of those who live and 
work in our communities.

TVA manages its public lands and waterways to support 
recreation, helping make the Tennessee Valley one of 
the best places in the country to live, work and play. For 
example, we knew that with so many lockdowns and a lack 
of recreation opportunities at the onset of COVID-19, it would 
be important to make sure recreation and outdoor activities 
were abundant and accessible. That is why we worked hard 
to ensure kayak and river-rafting options were open and 
available for the public as a way of encouraging physical 
activity and getting people outdoors. 

As part of our larger recreation offerings, we allowed visitors 
to safely enjoy the outdoors on TVA land and waterways, 
which generates nearly $12 billion of economic activity in an 
average year.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | COMMUNITIES

27

Community Partnerships

TVA and the Tennessee Urban 
League Affiliates Partnership 

TVA and the Tennessee Urban League Affiliates partnered to 
launch a pilot program in FY 2020 that provided technical and 
soft skills training to increase minority participation in TVA 
EnergyRight’s Quality Contractor Network (QCN) Certification. 
This Certification enables contractors to work in TVA’s 
Residential Services programs, which offer energy efficiency 
services to homeowners. The Urban League Affiliates that 
participated include the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga 
Inc.; Memphis Urban League; Knoxville Area Urban League 
and Urban League of Middle Tennessee. As of June 2020, 30 
minority contracting businesses achieved QCN membership.

Cumberland Fossil Fuel Plant 
Employees Partner with Local 
Schools on Robotics Program

Employees at TVA’s Cumberland Fossil Plant in Cumberland 
City, Tennessee, launched a robotics program in the Stewart 
County School System through TVA’s robotics partnership 
with VEX Robotics. Robotics teams were created at Stewart 
County’s high school, middle school and two elementary 
schools, providing students with opportunities to hone their 
engineering abilities as well as life skills such as team-building 
and critical thinking. TVA provided robotics kits and teacher 
training while plant employees mentor these team members 
who represent the next generation of engineers, scientists and 
leaders in the community.

“TVA’s financial and volunteer support of Boys & 
Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley has enabled 
our organization to meet the needs of more than 
8,000 kids this year and more than 3,500 during the 
COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership has helped 
us ensure kids’ basic needs are met, educational 
opportunities and support are abundant and effective 
and that our members are learning and choosing to 
make healthy choices.” 

Bart McFadden 
President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs  
of the Tennessee Valley

Generating Justice Pro  
Bono Program

Through the Generating Justice pro bono program, 
TVA’s Office of the General Counsel attorneys and other 
professionals – and outside private law firm and legal aid 
organization pro bono partners – donate legal knowledge 
and skills to help lower barriers that affect lower-income 
individuals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 
FY 2020, it produced estimated total client savings of up to 
$110,000 – a significant amount even without factoring in the 
value of resulting housing, financial and personal benefits.

Storm Response 

In early 2020, TVA and its LPC partners in Middle Tennessee, 
Chattanooga and Mississippi faced the unexpected challenge 
of devastating tornadoes ripping through communities. As 
soon as the tornadoes struck, TVA and local power companies 
dispatched crews that worked hand-in-hand to help those 
in need. Together, we identified priorities, helped ensure the 
safety of our residents and restored power as quickly as 
possible. TVA and local power company line crews and other 
employees worked countless hours in adverse conditions in 
service to Valley residents and businesses.

Public Service Mission in the Community

We are proud of our employees and their commitment to TVA’s mission of service. With more than 4,400 hours 
of volunteer time performed by our nearly 10,000 employees in FY 2020, we have provided ongoing support and 
assistance in local communities across the Tennessee Valley. Our Community Relations program supports this 
commitment through: 

Education
TVA contributes to our local youth through educational programs and competitions focused in the fields of 
science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and robotics in both primary and secondary schools. By 
concentrating our efforts on STEM and robotics for school-related assistance, we are educating the future 
workforce and building a pipeline of prospective employees for TVA and other businesses in the Valley. We 
strengthened this commitment through our investments of more than $1.1 million in grants for STEM and 
robotics and sponsored over 200 robotics competitions in FY 2020.  

Human Relief Services
We proactively partner with local nonprofit organizations delivering disaster relief and helping meet basic 
needs during times of need. We have increased those efforts to support unforeseen challenges of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. During FY 2020, over 1 million meals were distributed through our Feeding America 
Partnership to ensure that people in need in our communities have access to healthy, nutritious meals when 
they’re needed most.  

Community Enrichment
TVA supports civic activities that support TVA’s core business objectives and key stakeholders. Partnering 
with our LPCs and directly served customers, we are here to support and strengthen communities across 
the Valley.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | COMMUNITIES

28

29

Community Care Fund

United Way of  
Greater Chattanooga

TVA and Electric Power Board of Chattanooga together 
donated $160,000 to the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s 
Restore Hope Fund, which channels funds to nonprofits 
working to meet the most pressing, on-the-ground needs 
of those financially impacted by the pandemic. In total, the 
fund raised over a $500,000 and has helped more than 800 
households cover housing or utility costs so families could 
remain in their homes despite job or income loss due to the 
economic downturn created by the pandemic.

“For more than five years, Mid-South Food Bank 
has been proud to receive funds from TVA. Their 
support is recognition of the need for our mission 
and that we are doing good work to make life 
better for people in our community living with food 
insecurity. TVA’s support for our Mobile Pantry 
program provides nutritious food to families in 
30 counties, including many rural areas where 
our trucks can go directly to people living in food 
deserts. TVA also supports our Healthy School 
Pantry program so that kids and their families 
have easy access at school to a monthly box of 
wholesome food. And their generosity continues 
with support for our Covid-19 response efforts, 
allowing Mid-South Food Bank to nearly triple 
its food distribution capacity to meet the need 
of those who have lost their jobs, have children 
unexpectedly out of school or who are isolated 
at home, recovering from the virus. Mid-South 
Food Bank takes one worry off the table – having 
enough food.  We are only able to accomplish this 
through the generous support of caring partners 
like TVA.”

Cathy Pope 
President & CEO,  
Mid-South Food Bank

“This year has brought unique challenges to our 
community and in the midst of a time where it 
is easier to withdraw, we are grateful that we 
can count on partners like TVA to help support 
neighbors in need.  TVA has been crucial in 
supporting United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s 
pandemic response and recovery efforts like the 
Restore Hope Fund, which has helped over 2,000 
individuals secure basic needs thus far in 2020.” 

Lesley Scearce 
President and CEO, United Way  
of Greater Chattanooga

Mid-South Food Bank

TVA partnered with Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) 
to support the Mid-South Food Bank through corporate 
contributions and employee volunteer events to support the 
area’s most vulnerable residents. When the pandemic hit, the 
Food Bank’s mobile pantry program became a lifeline for many 
as more families and seniors than ever before needed help 
getting food on the table. TVA and MLGW together donated 
$150,000 to the pantry to stock truckloads of food at 17 mobile 
pantry sites and pop-up food distributions events every day. 
Nearly 17.5 million pounds of food was distributed to thousands 
of food insecure households in the first several months of 
economic impacts from the pandemic.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | COMMUNITIES

31

Lauderdale County (AL)  
School System

TVA partnered with the Florence Electricity Department to jointly 
donate $20,000 to the local Alabama school system to help 
keep students connected and learning through the challenges 
posed by the pandemic. The funds are helping expand remote 
and virtual learning options with technology assistance for 
students. As kitchens and couches are transformed into 
classrooms, the joint donation helps ensure kids have access to 
the tools they needed to stay on track academically and safely 
interact with their teachers and classmates.

Nourish One Child 

TVA and Scottsboro Electric Power Board partnered to donate 
a combined $5,000 to Nourish One Child, which provides food 
for food insecure children for when they aren’t receiving in-
school meals. During the pandemic, the organization is working 
with Scottsboro City Schools to provide bags of food three 
days a week for the school system to distribute to children in 
need. With students learning from home, these deliveries meant 
the difference between hunger and having balanced options of 
proteins, fruits, dairy and grains to supplement what they might 
receive otherwise at home.

Employees

The strength of TVA is its people. An 
experienced, talented and diverse 
workforce of nearly 10,000 women and 
men committed – each and every day 
– to improving the quality of life for the 
approximately 10 million we serve. 

At TVA, our unique, long-standing mission of service drives and inspires our 
employees to continually pursue new ideas and innovative solutions that improve 
our service to our customers. This year, we faced a unique challenge: keeping the 
lights on while also keeping our teams safe and healthy during a global pandemic.  

Our dedicated workforce overcame these challenges, delivering vital services and 
support across the region. Our employees are on the job every day generating 
power, controlling river flows, restoring power after storms, helping the economy 
recover and much more. 

Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, our employees delivered for 
the customers and communities we proudly serve. We are committed to ensuring 
that our region continues to make a strong recovery from the pandemic.

4,400+ Employee 
Volunteer Hours 
In fiscal year 2020

$200 Million Pandemic 
Relief Credit 
For TVA’s LPCs, their large commercial and industrial 
customers, and TVA directly served customers

Over $4 Million 
Total funds disbursed by the Community Care Fund 
(TVA and Matching) in fiscal year 2020; 
additional $2 Million Available

Sponsored 200+ 
Robotics Competitions 
350 teams in fiscal year 2020

Approximately
$10 Million
Back-to-Business 
Incentives 
For certain large commercial & industrial customers

$1 Billion in Credit Support 
Available to 153 local power companies across  
seven states

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | EMPLOYEES

33

Highlighting Our Employees

Our dedicated and talented employees are committed to TVA’s unique, long-standing mission of 
service. Through their efforts, TVA provides low-cost, reliable and clean energy; attracts businesses 
and jobs to the region and protects our natural resources through environmental stewardship.
We are proud of their commitment of service to you. Below are highlights of a few of our employees.

Dr. Noelle Currey
In early 2020, Dr. Noelle Currey was awarded TVA’s highest 
engineering honor — Ike Zeringue Engineer of the Year — after 
being nominated by her peers and leaders based on criteria 
that include project performance, continuous improvement and 
a commitment to safety. Currey is a TVA project engineer in 
Transmission Power Supply & Support with eight years of service.

Currey received the award for a programming solution that checks 
electrical drawings with 100% accuracy to eliminate errors and 
rework. In under a minute, the program can evaluate thousands 
of wires contained in switch house panels — previously reviewed 
one at a time. The estimated cost savings for TVA is several million 
dollars. Her work helps TVA deliver 99.999% power reliability, as it 
has since 2000.

“TVA is built on the work of dedicated employees; and each year, 
we have the distinct pleasure of recognizing an individual who 
exemplifies excellence in the engineering field and commitment to 
TVA’s mission of service,” said TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. 
“Noelle’s innovation is helping TVA to continue to generate low-cost, 
reliable, clean energy — a key factor when companies choose to 
relocate or expand in our region.”

Each day, Currey makes sure TVA’s transmission power supply 
projects are completed on time and on budget, which keeps TVA 
power rates among some of the lowest in the nation.

“Noelle has distinguished herself as a leader who helps keep 
electricity flowing to our homes and businesses,” said Bob 
Dalrymple, TVA senior vice president, Transmission & Power Supply. 
“More importantly, her automated solution ensures the continued 
safety and high performance of TVA’s grid through lower production 
cost and error reduction.” 

Currey is a graduate of the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga 
with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. Currey earned 
her master’s and doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from 
Georgia Institute of Technology.   

TVA’s top engineering award is named for O.J. “Ike” Zeringue, a 
former TVA president, chief operating officer and chief nuclear officer.

Lawanda Hayes
Sr. Program Manager, Dam Safety, 
Navigation and Fossil Projects

Melissa Washburn
Aircraft Pilot, 
Transmission Aircraft Services

Jon Michael Mollish
Fisheries Biologist

Named the  
No. 2 Employer  
In the State of Tennessee on the Forbes’ list of 
America’s Best Employers

2020 Diversity Impact 
Awards™ Top 10  

Enterprise-Wide ERG Award 
By Association of ERGs & Councils

Named a 2020 Leading 
Disability Employer 
By the National Organization on Disability

Veterans make up 
nearly 20%
of the workforce

Top 10 Military 
Friendly® Employer 

National recognition

Military Spouse 
Friendly® Employer 

National recognition

Safety: Top Decile 
In recorded injury rate 

Safety: Top Decile 
In serious injury rate

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | EMPLOYEES

35

Inclusive Culture 
At TVA, we recognize now more than ever that inclusion and 
diversity are integral to our mission of serving the people 
of the Valley to make life better.

TVA values an inclusive culture, founded on respect and 
compassion for everyone. This year we focused on the TVA 
Mission of Service and heard directly from our employees on how 
this translates to making everyone feel a part of the TVA family.

TVA achieved national recognition for the fifth 
consecutive year as a “Top 10 Employer” for its support 
of U.S. military veterans in the workforce. We are proud 
that veterans comprise nearly 20% of our workforce and 
each adds strength and value to the entire organization.  

TVA was recognized as a 2020 Leading Disability Employer 
for the second consecutive year. TVA prides itself on 
creating an accessible and inclusive space for those with 
disabilities and prioritized that initiative by starting ABLED, 
the employee resource group for Awareness Benefitting 
Leadership and Employees about Disabilities in 2015. 

TVA’s employee resource groups received a 2020 
Diversity Impact Award from the Association of ERGs & 
Councils. Since 2014, our ERGs have helped advance 
meaningful understanding of and actions on diversity with 
inclusion throughout the enterprise and the communities 
we serve.

TVA achieved recognition on the Forbes list of America’s 
Best Employers for 2020 – ranking as the No. 2 employer 
in the state of Tennessee. 

Recognizing Military Service (Click to learn more)

Safety: Our Employees Deliver 
One of TVA’s Safest Years Yet
Safety is one of TVA’s core values, and it’s an area where we 
ranked among the best in the industry in FY 2020 – top decile 
in recordable injuries and top decile in serious injuries. TVA’s 
focus on reducing serious injuries and strengthening line 
engagement have led to TVA’s strong safety performance in 
the last year. 

Back in early 2020, Power Operations implemented the use of 
safety blitzes – a safety walkdown by employees from other 
sites – starting at Cumberland Fossil Plant in Tennessee. This 
effort proved so successful these visits are now conducted 
routinely during the first week of outages across the Power 
Operations fleet. 

In Kentucky, TVA’s Shawnee Fossil Plant significantly 
improved worker safety by assembling a proactive learning 
team centered on improving how employees report near 
miss incidents, which helps trend the level of safety risk. In 
addition, our hydro fleet is piloting a new process at Kentucky 
Hydro Plant to improve safety communication between site 
personnel and contractors.

Our nuclear fleet has used observations to identify potential 
lack of Human Performance tool usage, which helps avoid 
potential serious safety events at our plants, such as Browns 
Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama. 

In our gas fleet, including Ackerman Combined Cycle Plant in 
Mississippi, we’ve improved our safety suggestions process, 
which has contributed to excellent safety performance in Gas 
Operations with zero recordable injuries in FY 2020.

Operating across the TVA territory, our Transmission 
organization has focused on more detailed pre-job briefs to 
ensure employees understand the potential risks associated 
with their tasks. Generation Construction and Fleet Services has 
performed numerous assessments of our contract workforce 
and addressed problem areas, such as rigging plans, to 
improve overall safety performance with our contract partners.

Jeff Lyash on Inclusive Culture (Click to learn more)

Union Partnerships 
TVA’s employees and contract partners are represented by 
17 labor unions. Our partnerships with these unions go back 
more than 80 years and form the backbone of TVA and our 
ability to serve the people of the Tennessee Valley. This year, 
to ensure continued low-cost, reliable energy to residents 
across the Valley: 

TVA and the Trades and Labor Council for Annual Employees 
announced a 10-year extension on their agreement. 

TVA and North America’s Building Trades Unions announced 
a 10-year extension of their Project Labor Agreement.

Code of Excellence
In 2018, TVA and seven annual councils, along with the 
Teamsters Union, began our Code of Excellence partnership 
with a shared commitment to Safety, Professionalism, 
Accountability, Relationship and Quality.

Union-led labor management panel partnered to reduce 
grievances by more than 200% since 2018.

FY 2020 has seen the highest craft employee 
engagement rate in TVA recorded history.   

Internal Programs 
We pride ourselves on the enrichment of our employees 
through programs and trainings offered throughout the year. 

TVA invests in employees through training plans and 
performance improvement. Our approach to development 
consists of 70% on the job experience, 20% informal 
learning and 10% formal training.

TVA established the TVA Employee Relief Fund as 
a response to the pandemic and increased natural 
disasters in our region. To date, we have invested 
$36,000, which has assisted 12 employees whose lives 
were adversely affected by COVID-19 and tornadoes.

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

37

A Message from 
the Chair of the 
Board of Directors 

The pandemic has created unprecedented hardships that 
challenge us all. TVA has risen to that challenge with the 
strength of its people at the forefront to provide quality service 
and compassion to communities across the Valley. TVA’s 
experienced and talented workforce is committed to improving 
the quality of life for the approximately 10 million people across 
the Tennessee Valley and beyond.

The TVA Board is privileged and honored to serve alongside 
such a dedicated and passionate group of employees. Despite 
the challenge of pandemic conditions, the TVA team has 
embodied our values and long-standing mission of service, 
they have safely delivered some of the best performance in 
TVA’s 87-year history. 

TVA’s historic mission of service is embodied in the three “Es”: 
energy, environment and economic development. 

TVA is the nation’s largest public power company and one of 
the top producers of electricity. Its customers are 153 local 
power companies, and through them TVA supplies the power 
that approximately 10 million people rely on 24 hours a day, 
now more than ever.

TVA manages a complex river system that spans seven states 
and not only prevents damage due to flooding, as part of its 
commitment to preserve the environment, but provides a place 
of outdoor entertainment for residents and visitors.

We have an economic development program recognized as one 
of the best in the nation – producing approximately 341,000 
jobs and over $45.4 billion in capital investment in the past five 
years alone.

Despite the pandemic, and thanks to the performance and 
commitment of TVA’s employees, TVA continues to provide safe, 
reliable, low-cost energy to our customers; preserve and protect 
the environment and promote the economic development of the 
TVA service area. And the TVA team did this while meeting or 
exceeding all of our financial goals. 

Based on that performance, the Board approved a $200 million 
“Pandemic Relief Credit” in August for TVA customers. This 2.5% 
credit will deliver financial relief during the ongoing challenges 
that our customers and communities are facing. 

In addition, TVA provided $1 billion of credit support to 
local power companies, more than $4 million through the 
COVID-19 Community Care Fund and approximately $10 
million in Back-to-Business incentives. 

Our ability to provide this level of support is based on one 
important outcome – the performance of TVA’s employees. 
Their performance over the past year – both operationally and 
financially – has put us in a position to offer continued assistance.

Serving the public good and living our values are how TVA 
delivered on its goals in the face of an unprecedented challenge. 
The Board thanks TVA’s nearly 10,000 employees. Together, 
with our public power partners, we are committed to serving the 
people in the Tennessee Valley.

And TVA does this without any taxpayer support, in a 
competitive environment, where fiscal and operational 
performance make the difference.

John Ryder, Chair
TVA Board of Directors

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSTVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | TVA’S ENTERPRISE LEADERSHIP TEAM

3939

TVA’s Enterprise 
Leadership Team

TVA 2020 ANNUAL REPORT | TVA’S ENTERPRISE LEADERSHIP TEAM

41

The strength of TVA is 
its people, and its senior 
leadership team is no 
exception. They are an 
experienced, talented and 
diverse group of leaders 
committed to TVA’s mission 
of service through low-
cost, reliable energy, 
economic development and 
environmental stewardship.

As the nation’s largest public 
power supplier and one of the 
top producers of electricity, 
TVA’s leadership team sets the 
strategy, vision and operational 
direction for the enterprise.  

Jeff  J. Lyash
President and CEO

Sherry A. Quirk
Executive Vice President 
and General Counsel

Timothy Rausch
Executive Vice President 
and Chief Nuclear Officer

Jeff Lyash is president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the 
nation’s largest public power provider. Appointed by the Board of Directors in February 
2019, Lyash has nearly 40 years of industry experience and has established a strategic 
vision and direction focused on carrying out TVA’s long-standing, unique mission of 
service.   

Lyash introduced a long-term partnership proposal with local power companies to fully 
leverage the capability of the Tennessee Valley Public Power Model. Already, 93% of 
the 153 LPCs that TVA serves have signed onto the partnership. These partnerships 
allow for long-range planning and a commitment to working together to make the 
region’s future stronger and more sustainable. 

Before coming to TVA, Lyash served as president and CEO of Ontario Power 
Generation Inc., one of the largest electric generating companies in Canada with a 
diverse fleet of nuclear, hydroelectric, gas, biomass and renewable generating stations. 

Lyash earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University 
and was honored with the Drexel University Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009. He 
has held a senior reactor operator license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
and is a graduate of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Executive Training 
Program and the Duke Fuqua School of Business Advanced Management Program.

Sherry Quirk directs TVA’s legal affairs, serving as corporate 
secretary for the Board of Directors as well as TVA’s designated 
agency ethics official, responsible for the administration of the 
enterprise ethics program. As TVA’s chief legal officer, Quirk 
heads the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and completed a 
top-to-bottom reorganization of the legal department to better 
assist business partners and to help the OGC function more like a 
modern corporate legal office. She is also spearheading a pro bono 
program called Generating Justice, which is here to serve Valley 
residents who can’t afford legal counsel on a variety of matters, 
including assisting in resolving civil issues such as domestic 
violence, eviction and debt relief in order to help them get (and 
keep) good jobs and housing. 

Quirk is leading TVA through a period of increased focus on 
Ethics & Compliance and has instituted more rigorous training 
for employees and contractors. Quirk is also unwavering in her 
commitment to Diversity & Inclusion, having helped establish a 
Diversity and Inclusion Committee to help the enterprise improve in 
both areas. 

Tim Rausch has more than 30 years in commercial nuclear 
operations and leads TVA’s robust nuclear organization. 
His background includes leadership roles in operations, 
maintenance, engineering, training, quality, process re-
engineering and project management.

Drawing from all of his experience, he is intensely focused on 
improving overall operational performance of the TVA fleet so that 
it ranks in the top quartile in the nation in 2023, and that it is the 
best in the nation in 2025. Rausch has also introduced a practical 
“learn-prepare-execute” model of continuous improvement for 
TVA Nuclear and is highly focused on strengthening its culture of 
safety. And, under his leadership, in 2019, TVA completed a 465 
megawatts uprate at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. That’s enough 
electricity to power an additional 280,000 homes.

Sue Collins
Executive Vice President 
and Chief People and 
Communications Officer

Jeannette Mills
Executive Vice President and 
Chief External Relations Officer

Mike Skaggs
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer 

John M. Thomas III
Executive Vice President and 
Chief Financial Officer

Sue Collins is responsible for developing and leading business-
aligned strategies to ensure successful outcomes for both the 
nearly 10,000 employees who power TVA’s mission and the 
approximately 10 million people they serve. Collins’ leadership has 
been instrumental in charting the company’s People Advantage, 
a strategy designed to amplify the power, passion and creativity 
within all employees. 

Prior to joining TVA in 2014, Collins served as senior vice president 
of human resources for the Constellation Energy Nuclear Group 
(CENG), where she was responsible for building the comprehensive 
HR function for a complex, $1.5 billion joint venture involving 49.99 
percent French ownership and 50.01 percent U.S. ownership. 
Collins serves on the board of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga as 
the Governance Committee Chair, as well as on the board of 
Helmets to Hardhats, a national nonprofit program that connects 
transitioning active-duty military and veterans with skilled training 
and quality career opportunities in the construction industry.

Jeannette Mills has more than 30 years of commercial and 
regulatory experience in the energy and utilities sectors, with a 
strong track record of delivering high-quality customer service 
and driving economic development. Mills’ vision is for TVA to 
have a proactive, collaborative presence in the Tennessee Valley 
communities, working with local governments and stakeholder 
groups to serve the region side-by-side and pursue a better 
quality of life for all of its residents. 

Mills previously served as commissioner for the Maryland Public 
Service Commission. She was appointed by Governor Lawrence 
J. Hogan and served on a five-person panel that regulated gas, 
electric, telephone, water, sewage disposal and transportation 
companies. Mills’ accomplishments have been recognized with 
various awards, including Maryland Top 100 Women — Circle of 
Excellence Award; Black Engineer of the Year Pioneer Award; “Top 
100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America”; and Baltimore 
Business Journal: “40 Under 40”.

Mike Skaggs has more than 35 years of experience in the utility 
industry—26 of those years at TVA—and currently serves as  
TVA’s chief operations officer. As director of TVA’s many different 
types of generation assets, he is responsible for ensuring that 
TVA can keep the lights on now and in the future. With his unique 
focus on operational excellence, Skaggs has brought to TVA 
new levels of excellence in decision-making, asset planning and 
performance improvement.

Skaggs’ focus on the individual contributor has led him to promote 
a safety-first mindset at TVA, and he introduced and champions the 
company’s four vital safety behaviors. Indeed, with his leadership, 
TVA has achieved the lowest rates of recordable injury on TVA 
record. And with reliability at the forefront, Skaggs is currently 
overseeing an effort to modernize and enhance TVA’s transmission 
grid to make it more flexible, responsive and ready to meet the 
challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. He also oversees the 
River Forecast Center, which has helped to prevent more than $9.5 
billion in flood damage over TVA’s recorded history. 

John M. Thomas III, TVA’s executive vice president and chief 
financial officer, leads financial services functions for TVA and 
oversees new technology exploration in the fields of solar energy, 
battery energy storage, connected communities and electric vehicle 
infrastructure, among others. He is instrumental in keeping TVA’s 
rates low and stable through sound business and financial planning, 
as well as debt management. Under his leadership, the organization 
has created one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry—
keeping rates lower than 70 percent of the rest of the nation.

TVA’s financial performance under Thomas’ leadership has been so 
successful that the company has announced that it will keep rates 
stable until 2030 — a key provision in the long-range financial plan.

To view full bios reference tva.com/leaders

For More
Information

On this and other TVA Reports

Sustainability Report
tva.com/sustainabilityreport

Natural Resource Plan
tva.com/nrp

Integrated Resource Plan
tva.com/irp

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TVA Annual Report 2020

TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY 
400 W. Summit Hill Drive
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
www.tva.com