I.

Introduction

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), federal corporation, created by the Congress of the United States in 1933 to operate Wilson Dam and to develop the Tennessee River and its tributaries in the interest of navigation, flood control, and the production and distribution of electricity. Related TVA activities, based on the original TVA Act and subsequent enactments, include reforestation, industrial and community development, test-demonstration farming, the development of fertilizer, and the establishment of recreational facilities.

An independent agency of the executive department, the TVA is administered by a board of three officials who are appointed by the U.S. president to staggered terms lasting nine years each; the appointments are subject to approval by the U.S. Senate. The TVA has approximately 19,000 employees. The main offices of the TVA are in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Power generated in TVA plants is distributed over an area of about 207,000 sq km (about 80,000 sq mi). This region has a population of more than 7 million; it comprises Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Mississippi.