Blackburn and Hagerty call for President Trump to ‘rescue TVA from itself’ in op-ed criticizing TVA leaders
WBIR Staff
The TVA said it was working to implement new nuclear reactor technology and was aligned with the Trump administration’s “Energy Dominance” policy.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty penned an op-ed that criticized Tennessee Valley Authority leadership, calling on President Donald Trump to “rescue TVA from itself.”
The op-ed was published in “Power Magazine,” an outlet that focuses on electricity system and energy news. In it, the two Tennessee Republicans said TVA is “facing a historic moment that could decide our nation’s energy security for decades to come” as the country’s largest public power company works toward constructing what could be the nation’s first commercial small modular reactor.
The lawmakers doubted the ability of the current TVA Board of Directors to “carry the weight of this moment.”
“With the right courageous leadership, TVA could lead the way in our nation’s nuclear energy revival, empower us to dominate the 21st century’s global technology competition, and cement President Trump’s legacy as ‘America’s Nuclear President,'” the senators wrote.
In the op-ed, the two called on Trump and U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright to appoint an interim CEO to run TVA.
Current TVA CEO and president Jeff Lyash announced in January his plans to retire by the end of the fiscal year, and the board said it was in the process of searching for his successor. TVA said its board serves at the pleasure of the President, meaning Trump could remove the board and appoint new members before it chooses a new CEO. Any newly appointed members would need to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Blackburn and Hagerty called on their fellow senators to “demand strong, competent, visionary board leadership.”
The senators supported Wright in ordering an “American nuclear renaissance” during President Donald Trump’s presidency back in February. The lawmakers said nuclear energy could supply “vast amounts” of power required to run artificial intelligence, quantum computers and advanced manufacturing.
“Nuclear energy is the only viable solution, but the industry has been stagnant for decades,” the lawmakers wrote. “We’ve lacked national ambition.”
The TVA responded Monday and said it is the nation’s leader on SMR nuclear technology after working on it for around 5 years. In a statement, the authority said it is the only organization with an early site permit to create an SMR at the Clinch River site Oak Ridge.
Its full statement about nuclear technologies is below.
“TVA is the nation’s advanced nuclear leader and we have been working on it for over 5 years. We are the only organization with an early site permit at Clinch River. Plus, TVA is leading the application for the $800 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to accelerate construction of the nation’s first Small Modular Reactor. We are also developing the Construction Permit Application for Clinch. TVA is aligned with the Administration’s Energy Dominance policy. Nuclear power and advanced nuclear will be the energy source that provides affordable, reliable and secure energy that is resilient and clean.“
The two senators also touted concerns about the nuclear industry in China. It said the country last year announced plans to build 11 new nuclear reactors and said “TVA could be to the nuclear race what NASA was to the space race,” if countries begin competing to develop nuclear technology.
The TVA said it was ready for the challenge. The rest of its statement is available below.
“America’s competitive advantage hinges on affordable, reliable and resilient electricity. We are not just developing an SMR, we are developing a technology, a supply chain, work force, and a delivery model that can build an industry to unleash American energy.”
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