TVA Establishes Ombudsman Position for the Public

June 1, 2007

TVA has named an ombudsman to give the public an independent channel for reporting concerns and complaints about TVA activities that impact the public.

TVA Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility & Diversity Peyton Hairston will serve as ombudsman for external TVA stakeholders effective immediately. The ombudsman will complement and strengthen existing TVA avenues for working with the public. He will also facilitate discussion and mediation of issues of concern to external stakeholders.

“TVA wants and values public and stakeholder input that we already receive through a variety of ways,” said TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore. “An ombudsman will provide an additional avenue to ensure that TVA is responsive to concerns of the public.”

The ombudsman will determine if a complaint has merit and attempt to resolve it, working with the affected TVA organization. If this fails, he will present a proposed resolution to the CEO.

Governments, corporations and universities typically use ombudsmen to improve their relationships with stakeholders and deal with problems at an early stage.

Opportunities for public input to TVA other than the ombudsman’s office include direct interaction with TVA field staff, public meetings, open houses, hearings, listening sessions, internet communications and other avenues for dialogue. The ombudsman will not handle complaints from customers or suppliers, who will continue to use established channels for their areas.

TVA established an internal ombudsman office early in 2006 to ensure employees’ voices are heard, to improve administration and to make actions more accountable. Establishing the office also responded to some concerns expressed by employees.

TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financing. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.7 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.

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John Moulton, Knoxville, (865) 632-8048

TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000

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