WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday approved the Thomas Gilliland to the Tennessee Valley Authority, making him the first Georgian to serve on the utility’s governing body.

The confirmation was praised by Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who has been pushing to have a Georgian on the board, given that TVA serves 10 North Georgia counties and 129,000 Georgia households.

“The TVA has jurisdiction over power issues that are critical to Georgia although citizens of Georgia have never been represented on the TVA board,” Sen. Isakson said. “This distinguished citizen of our state is extremely knowledgeable about the environmental, recreational and power resources provided by the TVA.”

Mr. Gilliland, of Blairsville, Ga., is executive vice president, secretary and general counsel for United Community Banks Inc., the third-largest bank holding company in Georgia.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a law degree from Emory University.

“I am extremely pleased that the people of Georgia will have a voice on the TVA board,” said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. “Tom Gilliland’s strong background and qualifications make him an ideal candidate to represent the state of Georgia.”

The Senate has been locked in a partisan battle over TVA nominees, with two left to confirm, as Democrats have protested the overwhelming Republican representation on the board.

Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, both R-Tenn., urged Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to allow confirmation votes on the reappointments of Susan Williams and Bishop William Graves.

“There’s no reason why the Democratic leader of the Senate should not also soon agree to confirm the president’s reappointment of two excellent current board members,” Sens. Alexander and Corker said in a joint statement.

TVA supplies electricity to seven states in the Southeast.

TVA BOARD MEMBERS

* William Sansom, Knoxville, chairman

* Dennis Bottorff, Nashville

* Don DePriest, Columbus, Miss.

* Mike Duncan, Inez, Ky.

* Thomas Gilliland, Blairsville, Ga.

* Skila Harris, Bowling Green, Ky.

* Howard Thrailkill, Huntsville, Ala.

* The Senate has yet to confirm the reappointments of Susan Richardson Williams, of Knoxville, and Bishop William Graves, of Memphis