Seven Decades—25,500 Days—of Service to the TVA Region

Empowering Life in the Region…Every Day

For more than seven decades, TVA employees have worked to discover new technologies for providing affordable, reliable power and to create economic opportunities where none existed.

In 1933 TVA began to provide flood damage reduction, navigation, hydroelectric power, cleaner water, economic development, land reclamation and recreation through its management of the Tennessee River. Today, TVA is using 21st century technologies while remaining committed to fulfilling that original goal. In doing so, the agency has become a national leader in the provision of affordable, reliable power.

With a generating mix diversified among coal, hydro, nuclear, natural gas, wind, methane gas and solar energy, TVA provides reliable, affordable energy, which fuels businesses and is an effective tool for developing the economy. What was an economically deprived region with soil and forests depleted, desperate for jobs, has become a region of growing prosperity, where businesses, families and the environment thrive.

To employees, the Tennessee Valley is more than part of the name of their business. It’s where they go home every night. It’s where they raise their children. It’s where their future resides. In honor of TVA’s 70th anniversary in 2003, the TEAM TVA Employee Volunteer Program was created to organize this commitment to our communities. This program initiated “70 Hours of Service” to encourage employees to donate 70 hours of their time to public service in their communities during TVA’s anniversary year.

May 18, 1933 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs bill proposed by U.S. Senator George Norris of Nebraska to create a regional federal agency to confront poor economic conditions in the Tennessee Valley. That same day, TVA acquires Wilson Dam from the War Department.

1936 The first TVA-built hydroelectric dams, Norris and Wheeler, begin operations, contributing flood control, navigation, and power generation in the TVA region.

1939 A three-judge federal court upholds constitutionality of the TVA Act in the “18 Company Case,” involving utility companies with interests in the Tennessee Valley. Also, TVA begins building its first coal-fired steam plant, Watts Bar, to meet increased demand for electricity anticipated with the coming of World War II.

1941 President Roosevelt asks Congress to approve funding for Douglas Dam in east Tennessee, which had been recommended by TVA engineers as the best choice to meet an urgent need for power for national defense. After Pearl Harbor, the President’s defense program receives quick approval from Congress. TVA construction forces complete the dam in only 13 months.

May 1943 Large-scale production of ammonium nitrate for fertilizer use and munitions production is started at Muscle Shoals.

1945 Kentucky Reservoir is filled, opening the Tennessee River to year-round commercial navigation from Knoxville, Tenn., to Paducah, Ky., and on to the Mississippi River.

1945-1950 Postwar, new industries are attracted to the region by an abundance of low-cost power, flood-free sites and navigation. The number of TVA electricity customers nearly doubles.

June 1951 TVA and the National Fertilizer Association sign a memorandum of understanding for the exchange of technical information.

1955-56 Coal-burning capacity surpasses hydro, and “the largest of all the world’s steam plants”—Kingston—is completed.

1959 To enable TVA to meet its power needs without reliance on congressional appropriations, President Eisenhower signs a law amending the TVA Act and authorizing TVA to sell bonds in public markets to finance its own operations.

June 1966 TVA Board decides to build the first TVA nuclear power plant at Browns Ferry, Ala.

1968 TVA now has helped more than 120 communities throughout the region analyze flooding problems and draw up plans and local ordinances to restrict development in floodplains and reduce local flood damage.

March 1973 TVA conducts the largest flood-control operation in its history.

1978 TVA and Environmental Protection Agency agree on a plan to meet strict air-quality standards at each coal-fired plant. TVA develops computer-backed Woodland Resource Analysis Program to help private landowners manage their woodlands for a variety of goals.

May 1982 TVA participates in the 1982 World’s Fair with two “Valley Adventure” barges that will travel the Tennessee River in the next year.

May 1983 The U.S. Post Office issues a stamp commemorating TVA’s 50th anniversary.

1990s TVA prepares for restructuring as the electric-utility industry moves toward deregulation. Although its production costs are third-lowest among the nation’s 50 largest electric utilities, TVA continues to look for new ways to reduce costs even more and improve efficiency.

1998 TVA unveils a new clean-air strategy to reduce pollutants that cause ozone and smog.

Earth Day 2000 TVA’s renewable energy program, Green Power Switch®, begins. In the summer of 2000, TVA’s nuclear plants set new records for efficient operation.

May 2002 TVA’s Board approves restarting Browns Ferry Unit 1 to enable the agency to meet future power demands of the Valley.

January 2003 TVA meets its all-time peak demand of 29,866 MW.

May 2003 TVA celebrates its 70th anniversary.