The chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors resigned Feb. 24, and a longtime executive will soon leave the federal utility after 25 years, TVA announced Monday.
Bill Renick of Ashland, Mississippi, joined the board in 2023 along with five other directors nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Unlike three Biden nominees fired last year by President Donald Trump, Renick appeared to leave willingly.
TVA did not offer more details about Renick’s resignation in an update to investors filed through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Renick declined to comment when reached by phone Monday.
(READ MORE: New TVA board under Trump extends coal, eliminates renewable energy as a priority)
“Chair Renick has been a champion for Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley,” TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler said in an email. “During his time on the TVA board, he has helped bring thousands of jobs to Mississippi and ensure affordable, reliable power for customers. We appreciate his service on behalf of the valley.”
Renick’s term was set to expire in May 2027. He became chair after Trump fired the former chair, Joe Ritch of Alabama, in April 2025. The termination came the day after TVA announced the board had selected Don Moul as the new CEO.
Along with Renick’s resignation, TVA announced that Chief Business Officer Jeremy Fisher was no longer performing the duties of his role, which he entered in August. Fisher, a native of Soddy-Daisy and a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, will leave TVA this month, Fiedler said.
“We thank Jeremy for his 25 years of service to the Tennessee Valley,” Fiedler said.
The vacancy of the board chair position comes after a turbulent year in which Trump dismissed three members, causing TVA to lose its quorum to vote on new business.
TVA regained the board quorum in January, when four new members nominated by Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate were sworn in. The board steered TVA in a direction aligned with the Trump administration’s energy policies during its first meeting in February, including by voting unanimously to keep TVA’s two largest coal-fired power plants open beyond their planned retirements.
TVA is the nation’s largest government-owned power provider, generating electricity used by more than 10 million people and businesses in Tennessee and parts of six neighboring states.
The board carries the power to raise electricity rates, hire the CEO and set policy for the utility. The remaining six board members will select one of the members to serve as the new chair for a term of two years.
If the board chair becomes vacant prior to the end of a term, the board must select a replacement within 30 days, according to TVA’s bylaws. The chair has the authority to call special meetings and presides over quarterly TVA board meetings.
Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.