[Senate Hearing 117-593]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                                                        S. Hrg. 117-593

                      HEARING ON THE NOMINATION OF
                  WILLIAM J. RENICK, ADAM WADE WHITE,
                    AND JOE H. RITCH TO BE A MEMBER
      OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               before the

                  SUBCOMMITTEE ON CLEAN AIR, CLIMATE, 
                           AND NUCLEAR SAFETY

                                 of the

                              COMMITTEE ON
                      ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                           SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

                               __________

  Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works




                 [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]





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                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

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               COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                  THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West 
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont                 Virginia, 
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island         Ranking Member
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama
MARK KELLY, Arizona                  JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
ALEX PADILLA, California             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
                                     DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
                                     JONI ERNST, Iowa
                                     LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina

             Mary Frances Repko, Democratic Staff Director
               Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
                              ----------                              

         Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety

               EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts, Chairman

BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, 
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont                 Ranking Member
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
ALEX PADILLA, California             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware (ex       JONI ERNST, Iowa
    officio)                         LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
                                     SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West 
                                         Virginia (ex officio)





                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

                           SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
                           OPENING STATEMENTS

Markey, Hon. Edward J., U.S. Senator from the State of 
  Massachusetts..................................................     1
Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma...     3
Shelby, Hon. Richard, U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama.....     3
Wicker, Hon. Roger, U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi...     4

                               WITNESSES

Ritch, Joe H., nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors 
  of the Tennessee Valley Authority..............................     6
    Prepared statement...........................................     8
    Responses to additional questions from:
        Senator Markey...........................................    10
        Senator Carper...........................................    11
    Response to an additional question from Senator Wicker.......    12
McConnell, Hon. Mitch, U.S. Senator from the State of Kentucky...    13
    Prepared statement...........................................    14
Renick, William J., nominee to be a Member of the Board of 
  Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority....................    15
    Prepared statement...........................................    17
    Responses to additional questions from:
        Senator Markey...........................................    19
        Senator Carper...........................................    19
    Response to an additional question from Senator Wicker.......    21
White, Adam Wade, nominee to be a Member of the Board of 
  Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority....................    22
    Prepared statement...........................................    24
    Responses to additional questions from:
        Senator Markey...........................................    26
        Senator Carper...........................................    27
    Response to an additional question from Senator Wicker.......    28





 
 HEARING ON THE NOMINATION OF WILLIAM J. RENICK, ADAM WADE WHITE, AND 
JOE H. RITCH TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TENNESSEE 
                            VALLEY AUTHORITY

                              ----------                              


                      WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

                               U.S. Senate,
         Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                        Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate,
                                        and Nuclear Safety,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Subcommittee, met, pursuant to notice, at 2:33 p.m. in 
room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Edward J. Markey 
(Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
    Present: Senators Markey, Inhofe, Whitehouse, Shelby, 
Wicker, and Ernst.

          OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD J. MARKEY, 
          U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

    Senator Markey. Good afternoon, everyone. I am pleased to 
call the Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety 
to order for a hearing on nominations to the Tennessee Valley 
Authority Board of Directors.
    Thank you to my Ranking Member, Senator Inhofe, and to the 
Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works, Senator Carper and Senator Capito, for their 
invaluable partnership in holding this hearing and for joining 
us today. I also want to thank Senator Wicker and Senator 
Shelby and Senator McConnell for joining us to help introduce 
the nominees.
    It is my pleasure to welcome my colleagues on the 
Subcommittee, as well as our three nominees for leadership 
roles at the Tennessee Valley Authority. We welcome them to our 
Subcommittee today. The core mission of the TVA is just as 
relevant today as it was when the Authority was created nearly 
90 years ago.
    In 1933, Congress created the Tennessee Valley Authority to 
unleash the potential of the rich resources in the Tennessee 
Valley region and improve the lives of the people who live 
there. The TVA provides flood control, navigation, and land 
management for the Tennessee River system. It assists local 
power companies and regional governments with their economic 
development efforts, and it provides electricity to 10 million 
customers, making it the largest public utility in the United 
States.
    And as the Nation's largest public power provider, the TVA 
serves as an example for public utilities across the country. 
The TVA can and should foster the kind of innovation that can 
clean up the region's energy resources, grow union jobs, reduce 
consumers' energy burdens, improve energy reliability and 
affordability, and protect the environment, all at the same 
time.
    Just last month, the TVA released its third quarter fiscal 
year 2022 financial results, which detailed the important role 
that zero carbon energy played in stabilizing TVA consumers' 
energy cost, despite volatile fossil fuel prices caused by our 
dependence on oil and gas that is priced on a global market.
    According to the report, natural gas prices soared 141 
percent in June compared to last year, following Russia's 
unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Coal prices also increased 
significantly. However, thanks to the affordable and more 
stable zero carbon energy sources in the TVA's power system, 
TVA's prices rose only by 11 percent this year.
    A diverse, clean power mix brings a clear diversity of 
benefits to customers. But despite the role that renewables can 
play in lowering consumers' energy prices, only 3 percent of 
TVA's energy portfolio is comprised of wind and solar. TVA has 
to change.
    In Massachusetts, not the sunniest commonwealth out there, 
by comparison, 21 percent of our in State, Massachusetts, 
electricity generation comes from wind and solar. Massachusetts 
is not the perfectly sunny State. A lot of these TVA States are 
sunny most of the year, but yet they are only at 3 percent for 
wind and solar. How can Massachusetts be five times better? 
Does that really make any sense at all?
    The Authority has the opportunity to advance the 
development and adoption of both utility scale and distributed 
clean energy in the region, creating jobs, lowering customers' 
energy bills, as renewable energy continues to outcompete 
fossil fuels. By increasing the percentage of renewables in its 
power system, the TVA can reduce pollution and the energy 
burdens of the TVA customers who already pay some of the 
highest electricity bills in the Nation as a percentage of 
household income.
    The TVA Board of Directors will make important decisions 
about TVA's energy planning for years to come. And it is 
critical that the Board is comprised of leaders who will ensure 
that the TVA provides all Tennessee Valley households with 
access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity while 
continuing to employ local workers in good paying jobs and 
supporting economic development in the region.
    I look forward to our conversation with the nominees today 
on these important questions. I would like to congratulate Mr. 
Renick, Mr. White, Mr. Ritch on their nominations.
    I look forward to hearing from all of you today.
    Let me now turn and recognize Senator Inhofe, the Ranking 
Member, for his opening statement, before we will recognize 
Senator Wicker for his introductory comments.
    Senator Inhofe.

          OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. INHOFE, 
            U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA

    Senator Inhofe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    While my home State of Oklahoma is not part of the TVA 
region, having been a former Chairman of this Committee, I have 
come to know and appreciate the vital role that the TVA plays 
for the States of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, 
Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
    The Tennessee Valley Authority keeps the lights on for 
nearly 10 million Americans, and it does so with an all of the 
above energy approach to power generation, which includes 
nuclear energy and fossil fuels. Today, nuclear energy and 
fossil fuels make up nearly 70 percent of the Tennessee Valley 
Authority's electricity generation portfolio.
    The calls to eliminate fossil fuel energy sources from the 
power sector are foolish and would be devastating for the 
American people by further increasing already sky high utility 
bills and creating greater unreliability for the electric grid.
    The Tennessee Valley Authority should continue to 
prioritize reliable and abundant power sources that continue to 
keep the lights on for the American people. It is my hope that 
these nominees recognize the need for an all of the above 
energy approach that includes nuclear and fossil fuels for the 
power sector now and into the future.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. I thank the Ranking Member.
    Now, let me turn to Senator Shelby for his introductory 
comments.

           OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICHARD SHELBY, 
             U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ALABAMA

    Senator Shelby. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for holding this hearing. 
I appreciate the opportunity to appear here today to introduce 
Joe Ritch from Huntsville, Alabama.
    A long time friend of mine, Joe Ritch was recently 
nominated by the President to serve on the Tennessee Valley, 
TVA, Authority's Board of Directors. He has been there before. 
He has also served as Chairman of the TVA before, with 
distinction.
    Joe Ritch is a practicing attorney, a tax lawyer, business 
lawyer, very good, good strong Democrat, where he focuses on 
government contracts and corporate and tax law. He also served 
as the Chair of the Redstone Regional Alliance, previously 
known as the Tennessee Valley Base Realignment Commission. In 
that capacity, Joe Ritch skillfully maintained and relocated 
several thousand jobs to the Huntsville Madison County area in 
Alabama. In light of this success, he received the Redstone 
Good Neighbor Award, as well as the Huntsville Madison County 
Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award.
    He is no stranger to this process. As I mentioned, he has 
been called upon before. He was previously confirmed by the 
Senate, this Committee, to serve on the TVA Board from 2013 to 
2017, including 4 years as Chairman of the Board of Directors 
of TVA. Joe was the first Alabamian ever to serve as Chairman 
of the TVA Board, a strong indicator of his ability to lead.
    Joe Ritch has built his solid reputation not only in his 
community, but around the State as a hard working, service 
oriented and highly intelligent individual. He has been an 
active member of several community organizations at home and a 
leader in our State's business sector. He loyally served as a 
member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Alabama, 
and now serves as a trustee emeritus. And he was inducted in 
the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 2021. He holds degrees 
from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, from Cumberland 
Law School, and from New York University Law School.
    As a former Board Member and Chairman of TVA, I believe he 
would be a great asset for TVA and its customers. He 
understands the weight of this role. He understands the 
interaction of the legislative body and the TVA, and I am proud 
and pleased to be here to recommend him to the Committee 
without reservation.
    I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding the hearing, again.
    Senator Markey. We thank you, Senator Shelby, and now we 
will turn to Senator Wicker for his introduction.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
           U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

    Senator Wicker. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
    I am delighted to be here today to say a word or two about 
the importance that TVA continues to have for our region and 
for my State of Mississippi and to congratulate all three 
nominees; I am sure Mr. White and Mr. Ritch are absolutely 
outstanding, but to give as ringing as an endorsement as I 
possibly can for Bill Renick of Ashland, Mississippi.
    A word or two about the history of TVA. In 1930, 
Mississippi had electric power in 85 percent of its larger 
municipalities, but only 1.5 percent of rural farms and homes. 
Coming along in 1933, TVA was a game changer. The goal was 
simple: To improve living and economic conditions in seven 
southeastern States. And TVA has done that, and continues to do 
that in new and different ways.
    I grew up in the small town of Pontotoc, Mississippi. I now 
make my home in my wife's native town of Tupelo, and we have 
lived there for some decades. Tupelo is proudly known as the 
first TVA city. It was the first to purchase electric power 
from the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the TVA lights came on 
in Tupelo in 1934. Today, TVA utilities are located in 36 of 
our 82 counties and serve more than 359,000 households.
    TVA has made significant contributions to our economic 
development. Between 2017 and 2021, TVA created or retained 
over 26,000 jobs in Mississippi and invested $3.6 billion in 
our economy, so they are far, far more than a provider of 
electric power. They are a job creator for places like Cooper 
Tire and Steel Dynamics and Milwaukee Tools in north 
Mississippi, which leads me to my enthusiastic endorsement of 
Bill Renick to serve on the TVA Board.
    I served with Bill Renick in the State Senate back in 1988 
and forward. He is a great job creator. He has worked for Three 
Rivers Planning and Development District, from which he is now 
retired. And we have a wonderful group of planning and 
development districts, but I can tell you, none finer than 
Three Rivers Planning and Development District.
    He was work force division director there, Mr. Chairman. He 
currently Chairs the Commission on the Future of North 
Mississippi.
    Let me say a word about bipartisanship. And I think that 
the Ranking Member, Mr. Inhofe, will agree with this. Senator 
Markey is a dear personal friend of mine. Our wives are 
cordial. We try to agree on things when we can.
    Let me tell you about bipartisanship. Bill Renick was 
elected as Alderman, Mayor, County Supervisor, and State 
Senator as a north Mississippi Democrat back in the day. He 
went right straight from that, Mr. Chairman, to being the 
campaign manager for a statewide candidate for Governor on the 
Republican ticket. He went right from there to being the chief 
staff person in the Mississippi State Senate for a Republican 
Lieutenant Governor of the State of Mississippi.
    It wasn't very many years after that that a certain 
Democratic Governor of Mississippi was looking around for 
talent and a new chief of staff for his Democratic 
administration, and he chose Bill Renick. So having managed a 
campaign statewide as a Republican, having been a chief of 
staff as a Republican and a chief of staff as a Democrat, we 
need more bipartisanship like Bill Renick can deliver. Also, we 
need the job creation and work training expertise that Bill 
Renick will bring to this office.
    Mr. Chairman, have I made it clear the enthusiasm I have 
and the great fortune we have in this Nation and in the TVA 
region for the fact that the President has nominated Mr. Bill 
Renick? And I yield.
    Senator Markey. That is about as ringing an endorsement of 
any candidate which I have ever had the privilege of listening 
to. I thank you for that.
    Senator Wicker. And you have been in office these 3 years.
    Senator Markey. For a long time.
    Actually, when I think about bipartisanship, just the 
Senator sitting next to you, with the preceding introduction, 
back in 1985 and 1986 when I was the Chair over the Energy 
Subcommittee on the Energy and Power Committee, Congressman 
Shelby, then a Democrat from Alabama, wanted me to reauthorize 
the Tuscaloosa Dam for an additional 20 years of operation to 
help him in his campaign to win a Senate seat as a Democrat 
from Alabama. Of course, I willingly worked with him.
    Notwithstanding his change over to becoming a Republican 
after he was elected, I still stand in admiration for Senator 
Shelby, showing the bipartisan mood that we are creating in 
this Committee today.
    That is when, actually, that is when Senator Inhofe and I 
began our conversation about climate change in that very same 
era, over on the House side. Many of those animated 
conversations, I wish had been captured on video for today, if 
they could be preserved for posterity.
    But the goal here, of course, is to be bipartisan today, 
and to find a way of being able to make sure that the TVA gets 
a full complement.
    While we wait for Senator McConnell to arrive to give his, 
I am sure, fulsome introduction of Mr. White, why don't we 
begin with the first two nominees who have already been 
introduced. So, if Mr. Ritch and Mr. Renick could move up to 
the podium, we could have each of you begin with your opening 
statements, and then after Senator McConnell arrives, why don't 
you leave the middle one open for Senator McConnell, so when he 
arrives, he can sit there.
    Sir, if you could just leave Mr. McConnell's name in the 
middle, so when he comes, he can just sit right there, and then 
introduce Mr. White.
    Let us begin, then, by welcoming you, Mr. Ritch, and 
whenever you feel comfortable, please begin.

STATEMENT OF JOE H. RITCH, NOMINEE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD 
         OF DIRECTORS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

    Mr. Ritch. Thank you, sir.
    Senator Shelby, I know you have left the room, but thank 
you very much for that kind introduction. We are going to miss 
you.
    Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, Subcommittee 
Chairman Markey, Ranking Member Inhofe, and distinguished 
members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to 
appear before you today. My name is Joe Ritch, and I am honored 
to have been nominated by President Biden to the Tennessee 
Valley Authority Board of Directors.
    The Tennessee Valley has been my home for almost 70 years. 
Since 1976, I have practiced law in Huntsville, Alabama, 
concentrating on tax and corporate law and private equity 
transactions. I have also served on the boards of companies and 
organizations engaged in research and development for hybrid 
electric engines, power management, and cybersecurity.
    My father, as a young engineer, moved our family to 
Huntsville in 1954 to join the budding missile and space 
programs located at Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville. While TVA 
was taming the Tennessee River, they created a robust power 
grid and a diverse generation fleet that set the stage for our 
Nation to address some of its greatest challenges. Overcoming 
those challenges created opportunities for many other 
Americans, including, as I mentioned earlier, my own family.
    The same reason that our Nation chose to locate the missile 
and space programs on Redstone Arsenal are the same reasons so 
many other companies continue to locate in the Tennessee 
Valley. One, reliable and affordable electricity. Two, TVA's 
river management operations that enable transportation of goods 
and an abundant water supply, and plenty of open and beautiful 
scenery.
    I was privileged to previously serve on the Board of 
Directors of TVA from 2013 until 2017, and as Chair of the 
Board from May 2014 until my term ended in 2017. I also served 
as Chair of the TVA's Board of Nuclear Oversight Committee 
during the course of my tenure.
    During my term on the TVA Board, in support of the 
established missions of TVA, some specific priorities were 
addressed. Those priorities included reducing the carbon 
footprint of TVA, right sizing the work force and generation 
assets, addressing the challenges related to the nuclear fleet, 
significant debt reduction, and resolving some long term issues 
related to the pension plan. Much has changed since my time on 
the board, but I believe the prior experience will be of value 
if I am confirmed.
    In 1994, I was asked to Chair the Redstone Regional 
Alliance. The Alliance is a coalition of 13 communities in 
north Alabama and southcentral Tennessee that promote the 
growth, the defense, and aerospace industry in our area. TVA's 
active involvement has been critical to our success. In recent 
years, I have seen first hand how the area's military and 
Federal organizations partner with TVA to address energy 
resiliency and reliability, smart city concepts, utility energy 
service contracts, and implementation of innovative solutions 
to energy challenges on these facilities.
    The TVA Act directs TVA to provide low cost, sustainable, 
and reliable energy, protect and promote environmental 
stewardship, and facilitate economic development. TVA's 
continued commitments to facilitate broadband infrastructure, 
advanced nuclear projects, solar, and energy efficiency will 
play a key role in the continued success. If I am confirmed, I 
will fully support these efforts.
    Clean and renewable energy in the Tennessee Valley is not 
only good for the environment, but it is also the role it plays 
in economic development. Many companies looking for economic 
development sites demand an increasing portion of their energy 
usage be from renewable and clean energy sources. Time and time 
again, companies select the valley, knowing that TVA will honor 
its commitments to potential industrial development projects.
    If confirmed, I look forward to working with my fellow 
board members, management, and employees to achieve these vital 
objectives of TVA.
    Thank you for allowing me to come before this Committee. I 
look forward to addressing any questions you may have.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Ritch follows:]


[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
    Senator Markey. Thank you, Mr. Ritch, so much.
    We are now joined by the minority leader, the Senator from 
Kentucky, Senator McConnell.
    We welcome you and your comments for your introductory 
remarks.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MITCH MCCONNELL, 
            U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF KENTUCKY

    Senator McConnell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Senator Inhofe.
    I appreciate the opportunity to interject here for a moment 
and talk about a good friend of mine that I have known and 
worked with for many years, and that is Judge Wade White.
    In Kentucky, we have a funny title for the CEOs of 
counties. They are called County Judges. They are not judges, 
really; they are like county executives, run county government. 
Wade has been the county executive in one of our important 
western Kentucky counties for many years, and has done an 
incredible job.
    Looking at TVA today, increasing energy prices, rising 
inflation, and stagnant economic growth are all putting 
pressure on American families. We need leaders who understand 
that our electric system's primary purpose is to provide 
affordable, reliable power to consumers, especially true of the 
10 million people, many of them Kentuckians, who rely on the 
Tennessee Valley Authority for their electricity needs.
    TVA is the largest public utility in our country, and my 
home State of Kentucky is uniquely impacted by decisions made 
by its leaders. We are home to the longest hydroelectric dam 
and its grid and to more than 215,000 households that rely on 
TVA for their everyday power.
    At the moment, Kentucky does not have a representative, so 
that is why I am doubly proud to be here with my friend, Lyon 
County Judge Executive Wade White. I know that, if confirmed, 
he will bring both common sense and a unique bluegrass 
perspective to his role.
    As I indicated earlier, we have worked together on a number 
of issues. We have had unusual issues. For example, the 
species, Asian carp, invading our lakes and making them 
inhospitable for tourism, Wade was the leader in getting focus 
on trying to do something about this species that was literally 
ruining our major lakes produced by TVA. So as TVA continues to 
expand and modernize its power generating capabilities, Wade is 
uniquely situated to make an important contribution to the 
Board.
    Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to come by and 
offer my thoughts.
    [The prepared statement of Senator McConnell follows:]
    [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T1200.006
    
    Senator Markey. We thank the minority leader for his 
important comments. It is quite an honor to be introduced by 
the minority leader for such an important post. We thank you, 
sir.
    We then welcome the nominee, Mr. White, up to the table, if 
he would join with his other nominees.
    Then we will just continue with the testimony and move to 
you, Mr. Renick.

 STATEMENT OF WILLIAM J. RENICK, NOMINEE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE 
      BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

    Mr. Renick. Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, 
Chairman Markey, Ranking Member Inhofe, and members of the 
Committee, thank you all for the opportunity to appear before 
this Committee.
    I am truly honored and humbled to be nominated by President 
Biden to serve on the Tennessee Valley Board of Directors. And 
I am so appreciative to my two Senators and friends, Roger 
Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, for their support throughout the 
process of my nomination and for their support of TVA.
    My name is Bill Renick, and I am from Ashland, Mississippi, 
a beautiful little town about 45 minutes east of Memphis and 
about 45 minutes west of Tupelo, which just happens to be the 
first TVA city, the very first city to receive electricity from 
TVA.
    Both my parents were lifelong public school teachers. My 
wife, Debbie, and I have been married for 48 years and have two 
children, Will and Susie, and two grandchildren. I am a long 
time member of Ashland Baptist Church, where I teach a Sunday 
school class. My faith and my family are very important to me.
    The public service bug bit me at an early age. The first 
time that I could vote, I voted for myself. At the ripe old age 
of 18, I was elected to the Board of Aldermen in Ashland. After 
serving two terms, I was elected mayor. I then was elected to 
the Benton County Board of Supervisors, where I served as vice 
chairman, and subsequently to the Mississippi State Senate.
    Following my time in the State legislature, I served as the 
chief of staff to both Republican Lieutenant Governor Eddie 
Briggs and Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove. In between 
those two terms, I was President of the Mississippi Retail 
Association and later, Administrator of Holly Springs Memorial 
Hospital.
    I have also spent a great deal of my career in economic and 
work force development. After Governor Musgrove's term ended, I 
was named Executive Director of the Marshall County Industrial 
Development Authority and helped develop very successful sites 
that are now home to companies such as Amazon, Volvo, ASICS, 
McCormick Spices, Corelle, Cooper Tire, and Kellogg's. All are 
powered by TVA generated electricity, which was a key component 
to their locating in Mississippi.
    I spent the last 13 years of my full time working career as 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, WIOA, Division 
Director at Three Rivers Planning and Development District in 
Pontotoc, Mississippi, retiring in June 2021. There, we 
administered the Federal work force training funds for 27 
counties in north Mississippi.
    As exemplified by my background, I have lived and served my 
entire life in the TVA service area. I was proud to be part of 
helping with the development and location of those major 
companies that I previously named, but would also like to share 
an early experience from when I was a young alderman in Ashland 
and a small, locally owned company, TCI, Torque Converters 
Incorporated, was working to build their first facility in 
Ashland.
    We had one small area of need to close the deal: We had to 
pave the parking lot so the employees could have a place out of 
the mud to park and the trucks could get the finished product 
in and out of the building. That need was filled by TVA, and 50 
years later, that company, TCI, is still building torque 
converters in Ashland.
    The three Es of TVA, energy, environment, and economic 
development, are all extremely important to the citizens of the 
valley, just as they have been since 1933. The TVA mission of 
providing safe, clean, reliable, and affordable power is a 
mission that must continue to be achieved to ensure the 
economic growth of the Tennessee Valley region.
    Also important to the livelihoods of the 10 million 
citizens that depend on TVA is their responsibility to manage 
and maintain the beautiful natural environment and recreational 
opportunities with which the region is blessed. It is a 
tremendous responsibility.
    I will commit to listen, to learn, to evaluate, and to 
execute using the same common sense that has served me well in 
over 50 years of public service. My dedication to the mission 
of TVA and its millions of citizen users will be supported by 
my ultimate commitment to treat and serve my fellow man as I 
would want to be treated and served. I learned that Golden Rule 
way of life a long time ago at Ashland Baptist Church.
    Thank you again for this opportunity. If confirmed, I am 
excited and anxious to go to work.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Renick follows:]

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    Senator Markey. Thank you, Mr. Renick, so much.
    Now Mr. White, we are looking forward to your testimony.

  STATEMENT OF ADAM WADE WHITE, NOMINEE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE 
      BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY

    Mr. White. Thank you, Subcommittee Chairman Markey, Ranking 
Member Inhofe, members of the Committee. Thank you for the 
opportunity to appear before you today.
    I am honored to have been nominated by President Biden to 
serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. 
Thank you to the Committee for considering my nomination.
    I know Senator McConnell has left the room, but he is a 
good friend. I appreciate him suggesting me to the President. I 
appreciate every time I have knocked on his door for problems 
we are experiencing in my county, he has always opened it. So 
he has been a good friend, and I appreciate him for that.
    By way of introduction, I have been a lifelong resident of 
western Kentucky within the footprint of the Tennessee Valley. 
I grew up in Lyon County, Kentucky, enjoying the benefits of 
fishing on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, where I fished below 
Kentucky Dam, a TVA hydroelectric dam.
    I graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of 
Kentucky in 1995, and my wife, DeeDee, and I are the proud 
parents of Brandon and Jenna White. In 2010, I won my first 
term as Lyon County Judge Executive, and am currently finishing 
my third term. Serving as Judge Executive has prepared me well 
for this position. Lyon County is a small county nestled 
between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. Lake Barkley is 
controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Kentucky is 
controlled by the TVA. Sixty percent of Lyon County is 
controlled by a State or Federal agency.
    This is significant, and has given me a great understanding 
of how large agencies can have both a positive and a negative 
impact on local communities, and how important it is to always 
work to serve the people first.
    TVA provides a number of benefits to my county, aside from 
hydroelectricity. It affords the natural resources of the lake 
to locals and tourists from all over the country. During my 
service as Judge Executive, we have benefited from a strong 
tourism and fishing industry that has ripple effects all across 
western Kentucky. My heart is in protecting, promoting, and 
conserving these natural resources, our fisheries and wildlife.
    Another impact TVA is having in my county is with economic 
development. My county is a recipient of approximately $150,000 
per year for use in economic development via TVA's payment in 
lieu of taxes. A small county like ours could never generate 
the tax base for such an endeavor.
    TVA is also having an impact on my county's ability to 
receive fast, reliable Internet. Fortunately, the southern 
section of Lyon County is serviced by Pennyrile Rural Electric, 
a TVA customer, our local power company. With the leadership of 
Pennyrile president Alan Gates, my county signed a contract 
with Pennyrile Rural Electric to service customers within their 
footprint with fiber Internet.
    Within a year, Pennyrile Rural has matched dollar for 
dollar a large portion of the American Rescue Plan Act money 
and a recent grant altogether totaling $2.8 million for a phase 
one build out, which is going on as I speak. This was all made 
possible because TVA made a way for their LPCs to invest in 
Internet. I plan to support the further development of Internet 
within the TVA footprint.
    Lyon County is also the planned home to one of the largest 
solar farms in Kentucky. The planned solar farm will cover 800 
acres and is planned to start next year. In 2021, I was 
appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to serve as a member of the 
Kentucky State Electric Generation and Transmission Siting 
Board. During my service, we were able to work out the 
permitting for the RWE Group to build the solar farm.
    I look forward to bringing this experience to the TVA Board 
of Directors and assist with similar future projects.
    It is an honor to be appointed by the President for this 
position. I am thankful to be here today in this confirmation 
process. I will work hard to educate myself on the issues we 
face, and always use a common sense approach in making 
decisions that affect the more than 10 million customers across 
the Tennessee Valley.
    Thank you all for considering my nomination. I would 
appreciate the opportunity to serve as a Board Director for the 
Tennessee Valley Authority.
    Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. White follows:]


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    Senator Markey. Thank you, Mr. White.
    I am going to ask you a couple of housekeeping questions, 
and then yield to Senator Inhofe for his questions. Then I am 
going over to make the roll call on the Senate floor and return 
to continue the questions from myself and other members.
    We are now ready to begin questions for the witnesses. 
Before we start with individual questions, this Committee has 
three standing yes or no questions that it asks of all nominees 
that appear before it. I will ask the questions and work my way 
across all of our nominees here today.
    One, do you agree, if confirmed, to appear before this 
Committee or designated members of this Committee and other 
appropriate committees of the Congress and provide information 
with respect to your responsibilities subject to appropriate 
and necessary security protections?
    Do you, Mr. Renick?
    Mr. Renick. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. White?
    Mr. White. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. Ritch?
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you agree to ensure that testimony, 
briefings, documents, and electronic and other forms of 
communication of information are provided to this Committee and 
its staff and other appropriate committees in a timely manner?
    Do you, Mr. Renick?
    Mr. Renick. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. White?
    Mr. White. I do, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. Ritch?
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. And do you know of any matters which you 
may or may not have disclosed that might place you in a 
conflict of interest if you are confirmed?
    Do you, Mr. Renick?
    Mr. Renick. I do not, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. White?
    Mr. White. I do not, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Do you, Mr. Ritch?
    Mr. Ritch. No, sir, I do not.
    Senator Markey. We thank each of you for that.
    Now I turn to Senator Inhofe for his first round of 
questions.
    Senator Inhofe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    So that people know what is going on here, this happens 
every once in a while, when they start, and we will keep the 
meeting going. So we will kind of go back and forth in that 
manner. It has worked now for 200 years, so it will work today.
    First of all, I would say to all nominees is you know one 
of the Tennessee Valley Authority's main responsibilities is to 
ensure energy security to the Federal facilities that provide 
power to over 10 million people living in the southeast region 
of the United States. In 2019, the Tennessee Valley Authority 
became the first utility in the Nation to receive an early site 
permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license small 
modular reactors at the Clinch River nuclear site in Oakridge, 
Tennessee. Energy security leads to electric grid reliability, 
and Americans must continue to have grid reliability in the 
future.
    So I would say to all three of you, do you believe that the 
nuclear should continue to be part of the power mix at the 
Tennessee Valley Authority, and would you agree that nuclear is 
vital to keeping the lights on and ensuring grid resilience?
    Starting with you, Mr. Renick.
    Mr. Renick. Thank you, Senator. I do believe that there 
must be a mix of fuel to energize our grid. Nuclear needs to be 
a part of that.
    I do also believe that America has the ability and the 
technology to produce safe, clean nuclear, along with other 
fuels.
    Senator Inhofe. Very good. Thank you.
    Mr. White.
    Mr. White. Thank you, Senator. I have read about the SMRs 
that you are talking about in Clinch River. I am fascinated by 
the thought of the new technologies that are coming our way. It 
is something that I think TVA has the chance to be at the 
forefront of leading that and learning new ways and seeing how 
we can become more efficient.
    I know they have done some updates recently at some of the 
nuclear sites now, which has dramatically increased the ability 
to produce electricity. So yes, I see nuclear as a strong part 
of what we do in the future.
    Senator Inhofe. Thank you.
    Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, and thank you for the question. Advanced 
nuclear projects I think are critical to the future of TVA and 
the security necessary for our grid. So yes, I do agree.
    Senator Inhofe. All right, thank you very much. And I would 
say to the three of you, as you know, the Tennessee Valley 
Authority has announced plans to close both units of the 
Cumberland, Tennessee, coal powered plant, which generates 
enough electricity each year to power 1.1 million homes. 
Considering the coal plant's significant power output, in April 
2022, the TVA announced its preferred replacement for the first 
unit to be a natural gas powered plant. Despite the economical 
and timely environmental benefits that natural gas provides, 
this decision upset many climate alarmists who oppose any 
fossil fuel generation.
    So I would say to all nominees, do you agree that the 
Tennessee Valley Authority's leading priority when deciding to 
replace any existing power plant should be ensuring that 
customers continue to receive reliable and low cost 
electricity?
    Yes, sir.
    Mr. Renick. Thank you, Senator. I do believe strongly in 
the Tennessee Valley mission of providing low cost, safe, 
reliable energy. I think back to those small companies like TCI 
in my hometown. They must have reliable energy in order to 
produce livelihoods for the people that work there. I am a big 
believer in the mix. I can only commit to you that I will study 
this as much as I possibly can, try to make decisions based on 
facts, but also using that common sense that has served me 
well.
    Senator Inhofe. Yes. There is no rule that you can't use 
common sense, in spite of some people who have tried. And I 
appreciate your comments very much on that.
    You are dealing with something here that is, it is life 
threatening. This is not a little deal. This is important. This 
is our ability to compete in the real world. You folks are in a 
very good position, and you have excellent backgrounds, all 
three of you, in pursuing this effort here.
    I would ask the same question of Mr. White.
    Mr. White. Thank you, Senator. I am looking at it from the 
outside. I am not privy to all the information that has been 
provided to previous boards. But I can tell you this, that when 
I go to looking at how is our mix going to be, one thing I have 
noticed is they plan out 10, 20 years in advance. So we have to 
take into consideration everything, things from your staff, 
hopefully, that you will provide us, TVA, all the different 
things that we have to look at.
    So I don't come into this with an agenda. But I want to 
make sure that we are providing the lowest cost possible, and 
it is clean, and it is reliable, and it is resilient, and it is 
sustainable. When I match those things up, we can use our 
common sense that we were talking about.
    Senator Inhofe. I think that includes common sense. It is a 
good statement. I appreciate that.
    You have to keep in mind what this is really for. Also you 
touched on something there I think, Mr. White, that is 
significant, and that is this is, there may be things that are 
popular today, and maybe those same things won't be quite as 
popular 6 months from now. Nonetheless, the mission goes on. 
And you have to keep providing. While some things will become 
popular and unpopular to different Administrations, your 
mission is obvious: You have to keep pumping out there so 
people know that they are going to be able to live their lives. 
That is all.
    Yes, sir, Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Ritch. Thank you, sir, for the question.
    The closing of the coal plants in the history of my time on 
the board is because they are obsolete. So the need for 
replacement power is obviously there.
    So yes, I think we have to look at all types and forms of 
generation of electricity because of our need to make sure we 
have that reliable, safe, clean process in place. So I think 
the main thing for TVA is always to evaluate the options and 
make sure we are making the best case. And as directors, we 
look at that, as was said, in a practical sense but also in a 
way that reflects the mission of TVA.
    Senator Inhofe. I think also the recognition that times 
change and priorities change. And we have to have that common 
sense that was referred to by Mr. Renick available to us at all 
times.
    All right, we have a vote that is taking place right now. 
If something should happen that there is a delay in Senator 
Markey getting back, I am going to have to go over and cast my 
vote. It is one of the things that I was elected to do, and I 
have to keep it up.
    I appreciate very much your answers.
    We will recess the Chair.
    [Recess.]
    Senator Markey. The Subcommittee will reconvene. We thank 
everyone for their indulgence. We have little control over when 
the roll calls on the floor are called. So we thank each of 
you.
    Let me begin my own questioning by first making a 
statement, then asking some questions. In the United States, 
the average cost, including building and operation cost, for 
new solar and wind generation in 2021 was $36 and $38 per 
megawatt hour, respectively. Again, that is for solar, $36, and 
wind, $38 per megawatt hour.
    In contrast, the comparable cost for some of the most 
efficient natural gas generation was $60 for a megawatt hour, 
and the coal generation was $108 for a megawatt hour. Let's go 
back over those numbers again: $36 for solar, $38 for wind, $60 
for natural gas, and $108 for coal So for coal, it is triple 
the cost of solar and nearly triple that of wind.
    Fossil fuel costs have spiked after the Russian invasion of 
Ukraine. And since their price is set on a global market, these 
hikes and disruptions are likely to continue. On the other 
hand, renewables have remained reliable and affordable.
    As highlighted in the TVA's recent financial report, 
natural gas prices increased 141 percent in June compared to 
last year, and coal prices also soared. While the TVA supply of 
zero carbon energy helped keep costs down, TVA is falling 
alarmingly behind the rest of the country in adopting renewable 
energy into its grid.
    Mr. Renick, do you believe that investment in low cost 
renewable energy can help the TVA bring down consumer costs all 
while supporting grid resilience and our climate and 
environmental goals?
    Mr. Renick. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do believe that 
Tennessee Valley Authority, being the largest public utility in 
the country, should be a leader in searching for renewable 
energy. I do believe that renewable energy can possibly bring 
down the cost of electricity.
    Senator Markey. In addition to bringing down energy costs 
for consumers, increasing the percentage of renewable energy in 
the TVA power mix can also attract new businesses to the 
Tennessee Valley.
    Mr. Ritch, do you agree that increasing the proportion of 
renewables in the TVA power mix could help draw more companies 
to the region?
    Mr. Ritch. I do, Mr. Chairman.
    Senator Markey. Companies like Google, and other tech 
companies, they like to have all renewables in terms of their 
plants' operation. Do you agree that there might be actually 
additional economic benefits, for example, in drawing these 
companies to the cleanest and cheapest and most reliable 
megawatt of energy, simultaneously reducing dramatically the 
greenhouse gases?
    Mr. Ritch. I do believe that, Mr. Chairman. I believe that 
Tennessee Valley Authority should pursue all of those 
opportunities. As I have stated, economic development is my 
background and my passion. And meeting the needs and the 
requirements of companies that could come into the Tennessee 
Valley region, renewables will play a major part in that. I do 
believe that.
    Senator Markey. Mr. Ritch, could you answer those same 
questions about the role of wind and solar and the jobs it 
might draw, the reduction in the cost actually per kilowatt 
hour, per megawatt hour, in installing new equipment?
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, thank you for the question. TVA has 
said as a leader, it should be a leader in any kind of 
technology in improving the cost, the megawatt cost. I think 
that is something that is in the current plan of TVA. But as 
you asked the question, as it relates to the job situation, I 
definitely think companies respond to that, and they are 
putting that as a requirement before they will consider 
locating somewhere, that there be a significant amount of 
renewable power. We have seen that in the case of several 
situations in particular.
    Senator Markey. Thank you. TVA has the worst efficiency 
record among all utilities in the southeast, achieving only 1 
percent in efficiency savings per year. It is the worst in the 
entire region.
    To all the nominees here today, if confirmed, will you 
support energy efficiency programs that exceed this 1 percent 
per year in efficiency savings so that there can be more energy 
saved?
    Mr. White.
    Mr. White. Absolutely. Always looking for ways to keep 
things efficient.
    Senator Markey. Yes. My mother always said she was going to 
donate my brain to Harvard Medical School as a completely 
unused human organ. She said that because, she said, Eddie, you 
just have to learn how to work smarter and not harder. And that 
is energy efficiency in a nutshell. That is just working 
smarter.
    A lot of people want to build more facilities, but if you 
don't need them, it is not a megawatt, it is a nega-watt. Just 
a nega-watt, we never needed it. It just a savings. So that is 
pretty much from my perspective what we really need to focus 
upon more.
    Given the reliability, cost savings, and climate benefits 
that renewable energy brings to consumers, it is shocking to me 
that only 3 percent of TVA's electricity is generated from 
solar and from wind. As I said earlier in my opening statement, 
in Massachusetts, which is neither particularly windy nor 
sunny, 21 percent of our electricity is generated from wind and 
solar. That seems astoundingly high, doesn't it, that 
Massachusetts is 21 percent wind and solar? We are just getting 
started, by the way. Our goal is to go to 30, 40, 50, and more 
percent. We just shouldn't be that far ahead of all these 
States that you represent, which are much more sunny than we 
are.
    So if the rainy day Bay State can figure this out, I would 
hope that each of you as you serve on the TVA are able to get 
those same benefits for your consumers.
    Mr. Ritch, as someone who has experience on the TVA board, 
do you think the TVA could do more to prioritize renewable and 
affordable energy resources, including rooftop solar and energy 
efficiency in its planning?
    Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, I think energy efficiency and all 
those different options you mentioned are extremely important 
to the future of TVA and should be reviewed. And as a board 
member, I assure you that I will look into that and get back to 
you as to whether or not we are taking advantage of all the 
opportunities that are available.
    Senator Markey. Mr. White, Mr. Renick, same question.
    Mr. White. I appreciate the question, Mr. Chairman. One of 
the things that struck me when you were talking back on solar, 
the way I understand it, looking in from the outside, I am not 
privy to all the information, but they have a plan right now 
for about 10,000 megawatts of solar. And when I was watching 
the board meeting the other day, they were talking about how 
they are moving forward to this but they can't get the 
equipment. It can't be installed.
    I understand that; I am from Lyon County, we have an 800 
acre one that was supposed to go in this year. We are way 
behind on that. So that is going to be something that I want to 
learn more about, why we can't move forward. Is it simply 
because of the backup that everybody is experiencing throughout 
the country?
    Another thing that you brought up earlier about businesses, 
I think businesses are pushing for renewables just as much as 
anyone. That is one thing that TVA is doing with the Green 
Invest. The city of Knoxville, in Kentucky, they worked with 
Corvette, Ford, all these are requiring or requesting the 
ability to have renewables. With Green Invest, that is what 
they are doing. I think it is a great idea.
    Senator Markey. Yes. And in Georgia, a Korean company is 
going to come in, they are already there, and they are going to 
expand and expand and expand and expand and expand their solar 
component part capacity to a point where they will be able to 
produce components that are upwards of 15,000 megawatts of 
equivalent per year.
    So they are kind of anticipating it, and Georgia is right 
down there, similarly situated in terms of the ability to use 
this equipment in all the TVA States.
    Again, ultimately, long run, we just have to break this 
dependence upon oil and natural gas. We can see how the prices 
are skyrocketing for families. Some of the poorest, lowest 
income families in America live in the TVA region. So they 
become subject to crazy price hikes that are caused in this 
case, in this instance, because of the Ukrainian war. What does 
that have to do with someone who is a low income resident of 
the TVA region, when the sun and the solar is going to be there 
independent of any foreign power in the years ahead? So just 
moving in that direction I think makes a lot of sense.
    The Biden administration has already called for a zero 
carbon electricity grid by 2035. And it is deeply discouraging 
that the TVA, the Nation's largest public power provider, does 
not intend to achieve net zero carbon emissions until 2050. On 
top of that, TVA has even implemented rate spikes to discourage 
consumers from using rooftop solar. Instead of replacing its 
largest coal plant with a low cost zero carbon energy source, 
TVA has instead proposed building a new natural gas plant that 
it plans to run for years to come.
    TVA is putting up blockades for clean, cheap energy, while 
rolling out the red carpet for polluting facilities that are 
going to blow through our clean electricity targets. Because of 
all the nuclear that is already in the TVA region, you have a 
big lead toward meeting President Biden's goals by 2035. 
Instead, you are moving in a different direction. Again, 
nuclear gives you a baseload capacity. You don't have the 
excuse that other regions might have to need some additional 
natural gas to provide baseload. You already have that with the 
nuclear.
    So it just doesn't make any sense. From wildfires to 
floods, the Tennessee Valley region is deeply affected by the 
climate crisis. Climate change has already threatened economic 
development and the environment and reliable energy production 
in the region.
    It is real, it is caused by human activity, and it is 
something that you could really lead on. My father always said, 
Eddie, try to start out where you are going to be forced to 
wind up anyway, because it is prettier that way.
    So I would just say to you, try to start out looking at 
where you are going to be in 10 years anyway. You will be 
surrounded by everyone who has surpassed you when you had a 
running head start to be the leader. It just will not be a good 
legacy to look back up on if you had the technological capacity 
to move forward.
    So to all the nominees here today, do you agree that 
climate change threatens the Tennessee Valley region? Do you 
all agree with that?
    Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, I agree.
    Mr. White. Senator, since I became a judge 12 years ago, 2 
years before that we received a 100 year ice storm. Since then, 
I have had two 100 year floods in my county, which has had a 
tornado cut through in December that destroyed a lot of the 
homes in our county. So I have seen climate change.
    Senator Markey. Is that a yes?
    Mr. White. Yes, sir.
    Senator Markey. OK, thank you.
    And Mr. Renick.
    Mr. Renick. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, I do believe that 
climate change is taking place.
    Senator Markey. OK. Do you believe that we should be 
adopting strong renewable energy targets, Mr. Renick?
    Mr. Renick. I think, Mr. Chairman, that the TVA should be a 
leader in seeking out solutions to these problems in 
efficiency, not only at the generation of electric power, but 
also at the user end of efficiency. I think Tennessee Valley 
Authority should be a leader in supporting weatherization 
programs for the consumer, along with the renewable support 
that they should be leading in in the generation of electricity 
at the front end.
    Senator Markey. Mr. White, Mr. Ritch, we will each allow 
you to answer, then I can recognize Senator Whitehouse for his 
questions.
    Mr. White.
    Mr. White. Thank you, sir. Everything is on the table for 
me. I want to see all the information that TVA has, I want to 
see all the information that you would be willing to provide. 
Any time there is something before us that you can provide, I 
would love to see that, and I will work with you the best I 
can.
    Senator Markey. All right.
    Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, I agree. I think that that is one of 
the issues we need to continue to address. I think the TVA has 
an obligation as one of the leaders in innovation and should be 
addressing that issue. So yes, sir, I agree.
    Senator Markey. Great, thank you.
    Senator Whitehouse.
    Senator Whitehouse. Thank you, Chairman.
    Welcome, it is good to be in touch with all of you again. 
You look pretty good in 3-D. Last time I saw you, you were a 1 
inch by 1 inch square on a Zoom screen. It is nice to have you 
here in person.
    I would like to ask each of you the same question, which 
aligns with the questions that Senator Markey has been asking 
you. We are seeing really dramatic climate consequences playing 
out. We have had huge companies like Cargill talk about massive 
drops in midwestern grain production as a result of climate 
change. We have had firefighters fighting wildfires in seasons 
where it was never a thing before, and it is months outside of 
traditional fire season. We have seen astonishing ocean warming 
and acidification, which isn't a big TVA thing. You guys aren't 
very near the coast. But for those of us who are costal, it is 
a big deal, as particularly folks who are in the aquaculture 
industry find their entire crop killed off by acidified oceans 
that degrade and erode the shells of the oyster spat and clams 
and so forth that they are trying to grow.
    Over and over again, there is almost no place in America 
right now that isn't being immediately touched by adverse 
consequences of climate change. It is hitting people hard in 
their pocketbooks. It is about a $5,000 per family cost, and 
that is a lot. And a lot of it comes from power plants, and TVA 
runs power plants. You even have plans to build a new natural 
gas plant.
    So what specifically can each of you tell me about your 
decarbonization goals as a board member of TVA? Let me start 
with Mr. Renick, and then go right across, Mr. White, and then 
Mr. Ritch.
    Mr. Renick. Thank you, Senator, for that question. If I am 
confirmed to this board, I am going to do everything that I 
possibly can to educate myself to the point that I will know 
how to make sound decisions. I do believe, having seen just in 
this past summer, many days of over 100 degree temperatures in 
Mississippi, which led to a major problem for the consumer, and 
I believe that the TVA should be a leader in searching out 
those renewable energies so that we can address those climate 
changes that we know are occurring.
    It is not only a consumer issue; it is a humanitarian 
issue, and I take it very seriously.
    Mr. White. Thank you, Senator. Obviously, renewables are 
going to be a part of the mix. It is coming; it is being pushed 
by even the companies that come into the TVA valley. So it is 
going to be part of that.
    The amount the mix is going to be and how much we are going 
to do over the course of a few years or a lot of years is 
something that I am completely open to. I look forward to 
working not only with TVA but also with you, with your office, 
with your staff, to learn the things that you know. I want to 
know what you know about these things, and make sure that we 
make the right decision.
    One thing I have learned watching the TVA board meetings, 
reading material, is the decisions that we are going to make 
now are going to impact what they are able to do in 20 years. 
So I know that is a serious thing. We have to consider 
everything. Everything must be on the table. I look forward to 
doing that if confirmed.
    Mr. Ritch. Thank you, sir. I think one of the things, 
because it is such a complicated issue, that we have an 
obligation to study, reevaluate and look at the plans at TVA 
once we are confirmed and be able to get back with you on some 
of the questions that were raised. It is critical to us and the 
country that we do this right.
    Senator Whitehouse. And right includes decarbonizing the 
mix, as fast as prudently feasible, correct? Doing this right 
includes decarbonizing your energy mix as rapidly as is 
prudently feasible, correct?
    Mr. Ritch. Yes, sir, as rapidly as feasible. Yes, sir, I 
agree with that.
    Senator Whitehouse. Yes. Let me just say one last thing, 
and then I will let you go. I don't need you to respond, 
because I don't want to be pulling any surprises. But for many 
years, particularly from 2001 to 2019, the TVA paid a group 
called the Utility Air Regulatory Group, which was an anti-
climate industry lobbying group that opposed clean air 
regulations, opposed climate legislation, climate regulations. 
They were a hostile force in the efforts to solve this problem.
    They had enough of a credibility crash, I suspect, that 
they disbanded in 2019. But lawyers who were a part of that 
UARG program continued to be supported and paid by TVA.
    So I will be continuing to pursue whether the way in which 
TVA funds its influence operation is aligned with the kind of 
values we have been talking about today. Unfortunately, I live 
in a world in which, forget TVA, big American companies, banks, 
insurance companies, retail companies, talk with one side of 
their mouths about climate change to the public, to their 
shareholders, to consumers, but then they come here to this 
building and their lobby groups are either AWOL or hostile to 
the very ideas that those companies are claiming to espouse to 
those other audiences.
    That has to be cleared up. It is really bad for a company 
to be caught speaking out of both sides of its mouth on an 
important public issue. And I think TVA needs to have 
credibility and integrity in the way it deals with its 
customers and the way it deals with Congress and our support 
for you.
    I think it is really important that you make sure as board 
members that what you are saying and what your values are are 
actually the ones that are being broadcast through the 
influence operation that TVA funds.
    I commend that thought to you as you begin service. We are 
certainly going to continue to look at that.
    Thank you.
    Senator Markey. I thank the Senator from Rhode Island very 
much.
    There are no other members who have joined us today, so we 
thank all of our witnesses.
    I think what you are hearing from Senator Whitehouse and 
from myself is just kind of a frustration with TVA, real 
frustration. You guys figure out nuclear power plants, brag 
about it, but energy efficiency, wind and solar, eludes the 
scientists, eludes the management of the TVA. It is kind of 
disgusting, actually, at a certain level.
    So when you say you want all of the above, what we want TVA 
to stand for is total voltage access for every energy source, 
wind and solar, and energy efficiency. We haven't been seeing 
it. At 3 percent, it just hasn't happened.
    So before we adjourn, some housekeeping. I would like to 
ask unanimous consent to submit for the record a variety of 
materials that include letters from stakeholders and other 
materials that relate to today's nomination hearing.
    [The referenced information was not received at time of 
print.]
    Senator Markey. Senators will be allowed to submit written 
questions for the record through the close of business on 
Friday, September 9th. We will compile those questions, send 
them to our witnesses, and then would ask each of you to give 
us the answers by Wednesday, September 14th. We will get you 
the questions by the end of this week.
    We thank each of you for your willingness to serve. We are 
looking forward to working with you in the years ahead to make 
sure that TVA is the cutting edge for the planet in terms of 
their technological advancement.
    We thank you all so much.
    With that, this hearing is adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 3:48, the hearing was adjourned.]

                           [all]