Turning Insight Into Action: TVPPA’s 79th Annual Conference Recap
TVPPA’s 79th Annual Conference brought 323 attendees from 103 local power companies together in Biloxi, Miss., and delivered a clarion call to Valley leaders: It’s time to do things differently.
The conference theme, Insight to Action, wasn’t just aspirational — it reflected the urgency and shared commitment to turn lessons learned into real-world solutions. With record-breaking growth across the Valley, rising costs and increasing pressure on both power supply and infrastructure, the public power model is once again being tested — and strengthened — through collaboration, leadership and innovation.
These threads were woven through thoughtful general sessions, panels and peer-to-peer conversations over the course of the two-day conference.
Opening Remarks
TVPPA President and CEO Doug Peters welcomed attendees and opened the conference with remarks that reinforced the conference theme, calling for shared accountability and urgent collaboration across the Valley to meet growing energy challenges. “This year’s theme encourages us all to do more than keep up with change. It challenges us to lead the change,” he said.
Peters went on to say, “The energy industry has been and continues to be at a very pivotal moment in time: facing rapid change, increasing demand and the need for smarter, more resilient solutions. True progress comes from transforming insight into meaningful action. But in this period of transformational change, my personal concern is that the pressures of change may begin to put pressure on the unity of the membership.” Following this, he shared slides highlighting TVPPA’s shared member values, which include local ownership and control, professional integrity, customer trust, operational excellence and financial stability. He then stated, “I think it’s important to remember these are the things that bind us together no matter what the industry holds, no matter what your customers want. These are the things that I think everybody in the room can agree to.”
Chairman’s Address
Outgoing TVPPA Board Chair Jarrod Brackett followed Peters, opening his remarks with his trademark warmth and humor before pivoting to a deeper challenge: namely, how public power leaders must rise to meet a rapidly changing landscape with courage, clarity and collaboration. Reflecting on the conference theme, Brackett mirrored Peters’ comments, reminding attendees that the time for observation has passed.
Drawing on personal experience and a deep sense of service, Brackett called for members to ground their leadership in integrity and purpose. He stressed the importance of maintaining strong relationships between LPCs, TVA and the communities they serve, and he urged attendees to actively participate in shaping policy and solutions. From capacity shortfalls to supply chain delays, and from climate shifts to AI, Brackett noted the urgent and overlapping challenges facing TVPPA member systems. However, he also highlighted the strengths of the Valley’s public power model, noting the strength of the Valley’s mutual aid network and the resilience of its members. He also highlighted the value of TVPPA’s advocacy work, education and training expansion, research and development efforts, renewable energy credits program and thought leadership, praising staff for their efforts. He closed his remarks by encouraging members to stay engaged and work together in both federal and TVA-level conversations, saying, “Together, we have power, we have light and we have opportunity — and we can share that with the communities we serve.”
Keynote Speaker Jimmy Jia
Energy futurist Jimmy Jia delivered a compelling keynote, weaving together history and cutting-edge technology to showcase how the electric utility industry has transformed itself over the past 100 years. Through his “ghosts of customers past, present and future” framework, Jia traced the evolution from factories demanding raw horsepower in the 1800s to today’s computers requiring critical ancillary services and tomorrow’s AI-driven infrastructure needs. His central thesis challenged conventional thinking about what utilities actually sell: “We’re selling electricity to our consumers, but what they want is actually the ancillary services,” he explained, highlighting a fundamental product-market mismatch that has persisted for decades.
Jia provided concrete examples of how data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) technology can unlock hidden energy resources within TVA’s transition to a dynamic, two-way power grid. His most striking revelation involved the untapped potential of distributed energy storage already present in Tennessee homes: “I did a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation, just [the] average size of [a] hot water tank, [the] average number of households, and turns out that we’re looking at orders of magnitudes of about 9 gigawatts of energy is stored inside just hot water tanks inside the state of Tennessee.” This example illustrated how granular IoT controls could transform ordinary household appliances into distributed energy resources, enabling systemwide load integration across demand, consumption and generation. Jia also showcased sophisticated EV mapping data for Nashville, demonstrating how utilities can use geographic analysis to predict infrastructure needs and optimize load distribution at a hyperlocal level.
Looking ahead, Jia painted an optimistic picture of collaboration between utilities and tech companies, making the case that both sectors share fundamental needs for reliable infrastructure and peak management, creating opportunities for partnership rather than competition. “Can you — the utilities — find a way to leverage these deep-pocket tech companies for the purpose of public interest and improve the local community?” he challenged the audience. With data centers expected to represent 10 percent of the electric customer base by 2030, Jia emphasized that successful collaboration will be essential for maintaining public benefit while accommodating explosive growth in AI and computing demands.
Jia concluded his presentation with an unexpected flourish: reading a ChatGPT-generated parody of The Night Before Christmas tailored specifically to the TVPPA audience and demonstrating AI’s creative potential while reinforcing Jia’s message that through technological evolution, electric utilities continue to serve the timeless mission of providing comfort, convenience and quality of life to their communities.
Other Conference Highlights
Workforce development took center stage at this year’s conference with a panel moderated by TVPPA EVP and Chief Strategy Officer Danette Scudder. The discussion featured four utility leaders sharing strategies for recruiting, training and retaining talent across generational divides and Valley-wide challenges.
Scott Hendrix, CEO of Tombigbee Electric Power Association in Tupelo, Miss., highlighted creative community engagement through his organization’s “splicing rodeo,” where winners earn scholarships to local community college programs. Meanwhile, Jaerica Troutt, Director of HR and Administrative Services from Gallatin Department of Electricity, emphasized the transformation in their community presence: “Five years ago, we weren’t out in the community as much. Now, we attend career fairs, we are in parades, we support our local STEM schools and send linemen to school events.”
The panelists stressed that community visibility builds trust and relationships. Jason Kirkland, General Manager of Guntersville EPB in Alabama, runs the successful PULSE Student Academy, giving local high school students two semesters of credit while they learn about municipal utilities. Britt Dye, CEO and General Manager of Fayetteville Public Utilities, has hired three graduates from their Student Utility Board program into cybersecurity, marketing and dispatch roles.
Beyond recruitment, the discussion emphasized ongoing professional development and cross-training as retention strategies. “Make sure your employees have opportunities to grow; don’t put a cap on their ability to succeed,” said Kirkland. Hendrix shared how cross-training customer service staff on fiber operations improved member communications, while Troutt noted that GDE provides salary bumps for each TVPPA certificate employees earn.
Cross-training emerged as a critical component of succession planning, with Dye noting its importance for organizational continuity. Scudder highlighted FPU’s strategic approach from the moderator’s chair: “One key aspect of [FPU’s strategic plan] was to develop a matrix of what future retirements look like and to identify pathways of growth for other employees.”
Perhaps most memorably, Hendrix illustrated the importance of valuing employees and their families through a powerful example: When an employee’s grandfather with dementia went missing, Hendrix deployed every available truck to join the search effort. “While our crews didn’t find him, he was found by searchers on horseback very near to where we were searching, and he was OK. But it was important to let our people know how much they and their families matter.”
A Safety Moment
Following the annual Distributors Insurance Honors Luncheon, Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative President and CEO Keith Carnahan delivered a powerful safety reminder by sharing dramatic footage from a substation incident that transformed a routine maintenance task into a nightmare scenario. What began as a simple job — topping off a power transformer with oil — quickly escalated when a worker, frustrated and working alone, attempted to disconnect a pressurized line. The resulting oil spill onto hot equipment created an explosive flash fire that destroyed two trucks, burned equipment to the ground and required multiple fire departments to extinguish.
Carnahan’s sobering message resonated throughout the conference: Even the simplest tasks demand strict adherence to safety protocols. The worker, though physically unharmed by the flash, was injured in his fall and shouldn’t have been working alone. The incident burned for more than 12 hours, destroyed critical infrastructure, including TVA transmission lines, and left the cooperative facing a nine-month delay on an already delayed transformer replacement. “Safety can’t be taken with a grain of salt,” Carnahan emphasized, urging attendees to review emergency action plans with local fire departments and train personnel on potential scenarios.
Managing Organizational Change
Good naturedly noting the challenges of speaking after lunch, Dr. Trish Holliday, VP and Chief People Officer, and Brent Baker, VP and Chief Customer and Innovation Officer, from Nashville Electric Service discussed how their organization is navigating significant organizational transformation.
They highlighted how their approach to change management centers on building trust and relationships rather than forcing compliance. The duo emphasized that successful change requires getting employees involved in the process from the beginning, as demonstrated through their implementation of a new time tracking system. “We didn’t just come in, plug the system in and announce that we have a new way of tracking time. We actually got buy-in because we had people around the table talking about, well, ‘what about this scenario, and what about this scenario?’” Holliday explained.
The speakers introduced the concept of “shifting” rather than traditional change management, focusing on helping employees shift mindsets and perspectives. They stressed the importance of leadership alignment at all levels, noting that mixed messages from management can undermine transformation efforts. Holliday shared her experience conducting focus groups with more than 100 employees to understand why engagement survey scores showed low recognition despite numerous company appreciation efforts. This direct engagement approach led to breakthrough insights about employee needs and expectations.
Baker detailed their contact center transformation, where they moved from answering 60-to-70 percent of calls within 60 seconds to achieving 80 percent of calls answered within that timeframe. The key was working alongside employees to establish clear expectations and schedules. “We took more calls than we had in four years. We answer our phone calls faster than we had in like 12 years, and we set record after record,” Baker reported. This foundation proved crucial when implementing their new Oracle customer information system, allowing them to recover service levels within three to four weeks rather than the typical monthslong adjustment period.
The presentation concluded with their “Return on Management” (ROM) formula, which tracks where leadership energy is spent during change initiatives. If too much time is devoted to resistors rather than supporters and adopters, the change plan becomes disrupted. Their call to action emphasized that utilities cannot simply “push everything into submission” but must build trust and gain respect to move change forward successfully. As Baker noted, drawing from a visit to the Nashville Aviary, effective change management requires the same patient relationship-building that bird handlers use: creating an environment where people choose to participate rather than being forced to comply.
Capacity, Valley Vision and TVA’s New CEO
In a conversation moderated by TVPPA President and CEO Doug Peters, Kevin Doddridge, CEO of North Central Mississippi Electric Power Association and NRECA Board member, joined APPA Chair and Littleton Electric GM Nick Lawler to tackle the rising urgency of capacity challenges across the nation.
Both leaders agreed that these aren’t just isolated or regional concerns. From the Tennessee Valley to New England and Texas, utilities are staring down the common threats of aging infrastructure, rapidly growing demand, extreme weather and inconsistent policy guidance. Doddridge and Lawler called attention to “gray swan” events — unpredictable but entirely plausible scenarios, like Winter Storm Elliott, that bring system vulnerabilities into sharp focus. Both warned that another such event, especially in the next five years, isn’t just possible — it’s likely.
The conversation also underscored the complex interplay between long-term planning and short-term fixes. Doddridge urged public power providers to stay focused on foundational work like maintaining systems, planning decades ahead and refusing to let emergency tools become everyday solutions. Lawler echoed that call while describing how local investments like tree trimming, battery storage and peak shaving generators are helping municipal systems stay nimble. Still, both men agreed that utilities can’t shoulder the burden alone. They stressed the need for a national energy policy and encouraged Valley leaders headed to Washington to speak plainly about the risks of inaction, the consequences of short-term thinking and the need to balance innovation with reliability.
Above all, the panel emphasized the value of relationships. As Doddridge put it, trust and communication are essential not just for managing a crisis but for avoiding one altogether. “Reliability used to follow affordability,” he said, “but now, reliability is the priority.”
Next up, Jeremy Fisher, TVA Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, outlined TVA’s Valley Vision initiative as a strategic response to accelerating growth and the unprecedented cost pressures facing the utility sector.
He stressed that the program addresses the stark economic reality that TVA cannot sustainably purchase power at 16 cents per kilowatt-hour and sell it for 8 cents with equipment costs rate pressures mounting. Fisher emphasized that this challenging environment requires new thinking beyond traditional bulk generation and transmission investments, potentially opening opportunities for local power companies to own generation and gain greater system autonomy.
Fisher went on to discuss how Valley Vision operates through three core work streams designed to transform TVA’s partnership model with local utilities. The first focuses on evolving load service products and pricing structures to enable greater autonomy for local power companies, including generation ownership opportunities. The second emphasizes standardizing technology deployment across the system to achieve economies of scale and avoid redundant efforts. The third concentrates on collaborative systemwide planning to balance capacity needs without over- or under-building, which Fisher acknowledged as new territory requiring innovative approaches learned from markets like ERCOT and smaller cooperatives.
The initiative has transitioned from an 18- to 24-month exploratory phase into active implementation since August. Fisher noted that while the current lack of board quorum will delay formal approval of new contractual and rate structures, momentum continues with plans to present unified solutions once the board reaches full capacity. The program includes specific focus on battery energy storage technology and ongoing collaboration through TVPPA committee structures to ensure broad stakeholder engagement.
CEO Don Moul’s Strategic Vision and Plans
Closing out the conference, new TVA CEO Don Moul presented TVA’s comprehensive strategy for managing unprecedented growth while maintaining operational excellence and financial discipline.
Moul’s vision centered on driving regional prosperity through excellence in operations, financial stewardship and commitment to TVA’s fundamental mission of providing low-cost, reliable and resilient power as a catalyst for economic development. Moul outlined three distinct categories of proactive response to demand growth: extending current asset life and building new capacity, strengthening financial health, and investing in system resiliency and innovation.
TVA’s massive capital expansion represents one of the largest construction programs in the agency’s history, with plans to add 500 to 1,500 megawatts annually through 2027. Additionally, TVA is reevaluating coal unit lifespans following recent regulatory changes, extending hydro unit life by 40 years through systematic upgrades and investing $3.8 billion over five years in transmission grid expansion.
Moul also emphasized TVA’s leadership in nuclear innovation, particularly through the Clinch River small modular reactor project, where TVA recently submitted its construction permit application to the NRC, stating that this comprehensive approach positions TVA to meet growing demand while maintaining its role as a catalyst for regional economic development and energy security.
Join Us in 2026
TVPPA’s 80th Annual Conference will be held next May in Louisville, Ky. TVPPA Regular Members who attended this year’s conference may request recordings of the sessions by emailing Madison Smith at msmith@tvppa.com.