Biographical profile

Van Wardlaw

Executive Vice President, Power Supply & Fuels

Van Wardlaw was named as TVA’s Executive Vice President of Power Supply & Fuels in July 2008. He is responsible for resource and operational planning to maximize the use of TVA’s generation and transmission assets. This includes selling excess TVA generation to interchange power customers and buying electricity in the wholesale bulk market to meet the needs of Valley customers. Wardlaw is also responsible for directing and managing TVA’s fossil fuel supply function to ensure an economical and reliable supply of fuel to TVA’s fossil and contracted Independent Power Producers (IPP) generation fleet.

He worked previously in TVA’s commercial sector as Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and Fuels, and as Vice President of Bulk Power Trading. His Natural Gas Work Group was named TVA Team of the Year in 2007.

Before that, Wardlaw was TVA’s Vice President of Transmission and Reliability (formerly Electric System Operations), responsible for real-time control of TVA’s 32,000 MW generation fleet and 17,000 miles of transmission lines. His group also served as the NERC Reliability Coordinator for five other regional utilities overseeing reliability for 12 states in the Southeast and Midwest.

Wardlaw had previously served as TVA’s Vice President of Transmission Operations and Maintenance and has worked in all aspects of power operations and delivery. In addition, he has served in various leadership roles in customer service, economic development, and marketing.

Wardlaw graduated in 1981 from Mississippi State University (MSU) with an Electrical Engineering degree, where he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappa Nu. He earned an MBA with honors from the University of Mississippi in 1990. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and has been designated as a Distinguished Fellow of the MSU Bagley College of Engineering.

Wardlaw serves on the Executive Committee and Board of the SERC Electric Reliability Region and sits on numerous TVA corporate committees. He is also a three-term member of the North American Electric Reliability Council Operating Committee.

Wardlaw and his wife, Jan, have two children, Hart and Erin, and reside in Chattanooga.