Bob Corker: “the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, is a multibillion-a-year utility--one of the largest in the Nation. It plays a…”

“the Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, is a multibillion-a-year utility--one of the largest in the Nation. It plays a critical role in our economic development efforts in Tennessee by providing low-cost, reliable power that is essential to attracting, retaining, and growing jobs. Strong, independent leadership at TVA is a priority for all Tennesseans, and the Senate is scheduled to vote tomorrow morning on two nominees to serve on the TVA board. TVA board members' sole focus should be ensuring ratepayers throughout the Tennessee Valley have affordable, reliable power, and they must be free to operate the entity without undue influence from outside individuals. While I respect the two nominees currently being considered, I have grown increasingly concerned by the nomination process and the potential influence--or perception of influence--that an outside investor who has proposed a multibillion-dollar project to TVA has had on this process. I have shared those concerns with the White House and the majority leader through several conversations. I was particularly disappointed the majority leader announced he was moving forward with votes despite being aware of these issues--making it the first time TVA nominations have been confirmed by a rollcall vote since 1987. While I still believe the selection of TVA board members and their confirmations deserve a closer look moving forward, today I received copies of letters from Virginia T. Lodge and Ronald A.…”