TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY - TVA
The TVA manages Lake Chatuge, what is their position?
The following correspondence was received when a concerned citizen reached out, it outlines their current plan pretty clearly.
“Thank you for your email regarding the Parrot Feather on Chatuge Reservoir. TVA is aware of the occurrence of Parrot Feather on the reservoir and were scheduled to conduct an aquatic plant survey of the entire reservoir to document the location and size of any occurrence of submersed aquatic plants on the reservoir this week. Unfortunately the lead aquatic plant biologist had a death in the family and was unable to conduct the survey this week. TVA will be looking at reschedule the survey in the next couple of weeks. Once the survey is completed TVA will have to conduct an environmental study in order to follow the required NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process for the use of approved aquatic herbicides in the reservoir to address the issue as needed. We will also have to obtain permits from the State of Georgia and Tennessee.
If TVA receives clearance to make the treatments from the NEPA process and receives the necessary State permits, it will be in the spring or early summer of 2024 before any treatments are conducted. We will also follow a notification process to notify the public of TVA’s intentions to conduct aquatic plant management activities on the reservoir.
Regarding the concern to potable water treatment plants, the aquatic herbicide have a certain distance from the intake that we can’t treat within on certain aquatic herbicides and then there are certain aquatic herbicides are approve to go over the intake. We always coordinate any treatment that’s close to an intake with the water utility to ensure their in agreement with our treatment plan related to the intake.
Also, the draw down on the reservoir was not conducted to manage aquatic plant growth, it was drawn down to winter pool for flood protection.”
David G. Brewster
Manager, Natural Resources Management – West Operations
W. 256-891-6608 M. 256-505-9899 E. dgbrewster@tva.gov
What is the TVA?
The Tennessee Valley Authority provides electricity for 153 local power companies serving 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding states, as well as directly to 58 large industrial customers and federal installations. We don't get taxpayer funding; rather, our revenues come from sales of electricity. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and regional governments with their economic development efforts.
Learn more at TVA.com
Jeff J Lyash, President & CEO
Jeff Lyash is president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Appointed by the Board of Directors in February 2019, Lyash leads the nation’s largest public utility in its mission of service to the people of the Tennessee Valley region.
He is also chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute executive committee, providing oversight to NEI on policy affairs on behalf of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Lyash is as comfortable talking with a crew in a plant as he is in the boardroom. His exceptional people skills and technical experience make him one of the top leaders in the energy industry.
Before taking the helm at 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 was formerly the president of CB&I Power, where he was responsible for a full range of engineering, procurement, and construction of multi-billion-dollar electric generation projects in both domestic and international markets. He also provided operating plant services for nuclear, coal, gas, oil, and renewable generation.
Prior to joining CB&I, Lyash served as executive vice president of Energy Supply for Duke Energy, where he led engineering, maintenance, and operations of the company's 42,000-megawatt generation fleet, fuel procurement, power trading, major projects and construction, environmental programs, and health and safety programs.
Before the merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy, Lyash was executive vice president of Energy Supply for Progress Energy. In this role, he oversaw Progress Energy's diverse 22,000-megawatt fleet of generating resources, including nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, and hydroelectric stations. In addition, Lyash was responsible for generating fleet fuel procurement and power trading operations.
Lyash joined Progress Energy in 1993, serving as executive vice president of corporate development, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, senior vice president of Energy Delivery Florida, and vice president of Transmission.
Lyash began his career in the utility industry in 1981 and worked for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in senior technical and management positions throughout the Northeast and in Washington, D.C. He received the NRC Meritorious Service Award in 1987.
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.
Lyash is an avid golfer and fly fisherman. He and his wife, Tracy, enjoy cooking, skiing, reading, and charitable work – and spending time with their two married children and nine grandchildren. The Lyashes live in Knoxville, Tennessee.
TVA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board members are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate, and each serves a term of five years. The proceedings of Board meetings are open to the public. 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.
Chair - Joe Ritch of Huntsville, Alabama, practices law with the firm of Dentons Sirote, PC, in Huntsville. He also serves as chairman of the Redstone Regional Alliance and remains active in the community. He has received numerous business and community awards and was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2021. A previous TVA Board Chair, his term expires on May 18, 2025.
Beth Geer of Brentwood, Tennessee, serves as the chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore and participated in the Nashville Sustainability Advisory Committee. She applied her policy experience in climate change and environmental justice to previous positions in the Clinton-Gore White House, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Senate. Her term expires on May 18, 2026.
Beth Harwell of Nashville, Tennessee, was the speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives for seven years while serving as the 56th District state representative for nearly 30 years. Previously, she chaired the Tennessee Republican Party and served as an assistant professor of political science at Belmont University, as well as in a variety of additional roles in both education and public service. Her term expires on May 18, 2024.
Bill Kilbride of Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as President/CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce from 2014 to 2017. Previously, he served as president of the Home Division and Chief Sustainability Officer for Mohawk Industries in Calhoun, Georgia, for more than 20 years. He currently serves on the board of several nonprofit and for-profit Chattanooga-based organizations. His term expires on May 18, 2023.
Bobby Klein of Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as a vice president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers after a decades-long career as a lineman and foreman with the Electric Power Board of Chattanooga. He also served 14 years as president of the Tennessee Valley Trades and Labor Council, as well as on the TVA Labor-Management Committee. His term expires on May 18, 2026.
Michelle Moore of Midlothian, Virginia, is the author of “Rural Renaissance” and CEO of Groundswell, a nonprofit that builds community power to reduce energy burdens and expand economic opportunity. From her roots in rural Georgia, Michelle has worked to connect clean energy with affordability and quality of life for more than 25 years, including leading federal sustainability and infrastructure project delivery for the Obama White House. Her term expires on May 18, 2026.
Brian Noland of Johnson City, Tennessee, joined East Tennessee State University as its ninth president in 2012 after previously serving as the chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education System. In 2018, he was elected to the board of the American Council on Education and also serves on the boards of a number of other educational and civic organizations, as well as an Institute of Higher Education fellow at the University of Georgia. His term expires on May 18, 2024.
Bill Renick of Ashland, Mississippi, is the chair of the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi and previously served 13 years as the Workforce Division Director at Three Rivers Planning and Development District. A longtime public servant, Renick has served in multiple local and state elected and appointed positions. His term expires on May 18, 2027.
Wade White of Eddyville, Kentucky, completed his 12th year as Lyon County Judge Executive and is now employed with Farmers Bank and Trust Co. of Princeton and Eddyville in business development and public relations. He is the recipient of multiple awards. An avid supporter of recreational fishing, he led initial efforts to raise awareness about the invasive Asian carp species that threatens the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers and was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2016. His term expires on May 18, 2027.