Meeting during the 72nd Annual Conference, TVPPA’s membership approved a landmark change in the bylaws and nine resolutions.
The membership gave its assent to an amendment to Article 4, Section 4.21 of the TVPPA bylaws. That change alters the process for appointment of members to TVPPA committees, limits committee chairmen to terms of no more than six consecutive years and specifies that no one individual can chair more than one committee at a time. The amended bylaw is set to take effect Dec. 31, 2018.
The vote was conducted by Chris Jones, president/CEO at Middle Tennessee EMC, Murfreesboro, TN, and chair of the ad hoc Bylaws Committee, which is slated to work through May 2019. That panel was formed by the TVPPA Board of Directors in December 2017 and includes Wes Kelley of Huntsville, AL, Utilities; Jeff Newman of Forked Deer EC, Halls, TN; Tullahoma, TN, UA’s Brian Skelton and David Smart of West Kentucky RECC, Mayfield, KY.
The 2018 resolutions were the first since the process was placed in the purview of the new Government Relations Advisory Group (GRAG). Chaired by Sheffield, AL, Utilities General Manager Steve Hargrove, the GRAG also includes Rodney Boyd of McMinnville, TN, ES; Jarrod Brackett of Fort Loudoun EC, Vonore, TN; Kevin Doddridge of Northcentral MS EPA, Byhalia, MS; Todd Gale of Columbus, MS, L & W; Jason Griggs of Milan, TN, BPU; Sweetwater, TN, UB’s Eric Hicks; Lenoir City, TN, UB’s Shannon Littleton and Kim Phelps of Warren RECC, Bowling Green, KY.
Six resolutions crafted by the GRAG and approved by both the TVPPA Board of Directors and membership affirm TVPPA’s support for:
• A Valley-wide Distributed Energy Resources integration strategy
• Collaboration with TVA in the development of a change in the wholesale rate structure
• Local power company (LPC) flexibility to respond to distributed-generation demands
• TVA’s role as regulator
• Improved Cumberland River project management
• Continuing TVA’s mission and the public-power model
TVPPA’s membership also approved resolutions addressing the impacts of TVA’s long-range financial plan, expressing appreciation to TVPPA employees and honoring those individuals affiliated with TVPPA or its member utilities who’d passed away in the 12 months prior to the 72nd Annual Conference.