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After an industry career spanning more than 40 years, Jeff Lyash, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), announced on Friday his plans to retire no later than the end of the fiscal year. Lyash has served as TVA’s CEO for nearly six years and will continue to lead TVA until the Board of Directors selects a successor.

“For the past six years, it’s been my privilege to serve with an experienced, talented team at TVA,” said Lyash. “TVA truly is a special place – created more than 90 years ago to improve the quality of life for more than 10 million people across this region. That mission of service continues to be our focus today. The stability and growth of our regional economy and the lives of the people we serve depend on our commitment to delivering affordable, reliable, resilient, and sustainable energy.

“I grew up in the small coal-mining town of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, and I cannot think of a better place than TVA to close out my career serving people just like those in my hometown. While I’m looking forward to my next chapter, spending more time with family, grandchildren, and friends, I will miss our TVA team and the relationships we’ve built across this region. The true strength of TVA is its people – an experienced and passionate workforce who work every day to make a difference.”

Appointed by the TVA Board of Directors in April 2019, Lyash has led the nation’s largest public utility with a focus on building strong partnerships, including the region’s 153 Local Power Companies, and managing sustained regional growth and the company’s largest-ever capital investment, which includes new power generation and enhancements to transmission infrastructure.

“Jeff’s knowledge and experience make him one of the top leaders in the energy industry,” said TVA Board Chair Joe Ritch. “Jeff has done more than lead one of the nation’s top power providers, he has helped drive an industry forward. His vision has positioned TVA well for the future, and he has built a legacy that will endure.”

TVA maintains some of the lowest energy costs and highest reliability in the nation. TVA’s retail rates are lower than 80 percent of the rest of the nation, while its industrial rates are lower than 95 percent of the top utilities.

Under Jeff’s leadership, TVA has worked with regional partners to deliver the next generation of American jobs. In the past five years alone, TVA has helped create approximately $45.9 billion in capital investment, creating or retaining more than 326,000 jobs.

With sustained regional growth at approximately three times the national average, TVA is making significant investments in its power system – over $22 billion in the past decade, including $4 billion in 2024 alone, and an additional $16 billion over the next several years toward new generation and transmission. Today, TVA has more than 3,500 megawatts of new generation under construction or online.

Those investments have helped TVA meet record-breaking demand for electricity, including last week’s all time power demand record of 35,319 megawatts, which is the equivalent of powering 20 million homes at once.

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