TVA looks toward sustainable energy, but coal still key, TVA president Lyash says

Jeff Lyash
Jeff Lyash, president of the Tennessee Valley Authority, said the TVA is moving toward more wind and solar power. Photo: Victoria Gaither

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is moving toward use of more wind and solar power, which means a decline in use of coal, Jeff Lyash, new president of the TVA said at a National Press Club Newsmaker on Wednesday.

Lyash, who has spent his entire career in electrical and energy matters, became president and CEO last April after election by the TVA's Board of Directors. He most recently was president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation Inc., one of Canada's largest electrical generating firms. The TVA, a self-funded federal corporation, was founded in 1933 during the Great Depression and now has 10,000 employees, works with 154 local power companies and serves nearly 10 million people .

Lyash cited TVA statistics showing the percentage of coal in its energy mix has dropped from 58% in fiscal 2007 to 29% this year, while nuclear has risen from 25% to 40%, and wind and solar from almost nothing to 3%.

"I am a strong advocate of increasing wind and solar in the contribution to the energy production portfolio," Lyash said.

Looking ahead, Lyash said he sees "a prominent role for nuclear and hydro-electric and flexible gas resources - and a declining role for coal."

Chair Angela Greiling Keane asked Lyash to respond to a proposal by Democratic presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders' proposal to federalize the energy industry, Lyash smiled and said , "When it comes to the presidential election, I'm so glad I'm subject to the Hatch Act," which restricts participation in politics by federal employes. President Trump, a strong proponent of coal, was not mentioned during the one-hour Newsmaker event.

In response to a question from the audience about how much attention Lyash pays to his own thermostat, he said, "I monitor my own thermostat at home, but don't obsess over it." He added he also pays attention to "all the end uses of energy," such as gasoline and electricity.