It’s been just over a month since he’s taken over the reins of the Tennessee Valley Authority, but new CEO Jeffrey Lyash already is focused on the future.
He’s committed to prioritizing “what is needed in the long run” when making strategic investments and changes to meet the changing environmental and economic landscape, Lyash told the Times Free Press recently. “The public power model in the valley will allow us to think about what is best over time for all of our customers,” he said.
The answer to what’s best, whether for TVA, its customers, business development, or everyday Tennesseans, is the same: advanced energy.
Advanced energy may be a booming $1.4 trillion global market, but it’s intimately linked to the welfare, employment and economic prospects of all Tennesseans.
Our state has exploded as a power player in advanced energy innovation over the last decade, thanks in large part to the unique set of assets that make it a triple-threat: TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and business-friendly regulations and workforce. The sector drives about $39.7 billion to state Gross Domestic Product, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council found in its 2018 economic impact report. It’s growing even more rapidly than the overall state economy, employing close to 360,000 Tennesseans in generally higher-paid positions than the state average annual wage.