Despite presidential pick, Memphis has no members on TVA board

MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A U.S. presidential appointment for a former Memphis City Councilwoman has been put on hold.

Nearly a year after President Biden nominated Patrice Robinson to become a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority or the TVA , there have been no confirmation hearings, and none are scheduled.

At a time when the Tennessee Valley Authority just approved a more than 5% rate hike that will directly impact MGLW customers come October, the TVA Board of Directors still has no members from Memphis.

“On September 11, 2023, President Biden nominated me to serve on the TVA board. We had hoped that we’d have a vote by the Senate by the end of the year, but that didn’t happen,” said Robinson.

Patrice Robinson has personally learned the hard way about gridlock on Congressional confirmations.

“The first of the year, the President (Biden) had to re-nominate me. So, I’ve been nominated twice now,” Robinson said.

Currently, eight people are seated on the nine-member board. But there’s no West Tennessee representation.

“Number one, we don’t have a voice. Number two, there can be some legislation that could have a greater impact on West Tennessee than on any other area in the valley, and thirdly, it’s so important to have a voice of public experience at the table,” said Robinson.

The TVA is a federally-owned utility company. MLGW is the largest customer of TVA. We reached out to the TVA for a comment.

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In an email, it says, “According to the TVA Act, TVA Board members are nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. TVA has no input nor control over that process.”

This delayed confirmation comes at a time when environmental groups are asking questions about Elon Musk’s Memphis supercomputer and its impact on the Bluff City.

“TVA has not been called to the table yet. So, we really don’t know. We need to get a lot more answers. We need to have more public meetings,” Robinson said.

For now, Patrice Robinson hopes the community will turn up the heat and show its support to help give Memphis a seat at the TVA table.

“What I want them to do personally for me is start reaching out to our senators,” she said.

Attorney John Ryder, general counsel for the Republican National Committee, who died in 2022, was the last Memphian appointed to the TVA board.

Previous members include former WREG General Manager Ron Walter, Bishop William Graves, and V. Lynne Evans.

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