Energy - Public Power for the Valley

Public Power for the Valley

TVA and local power companies work closely together to make life better for the people we serve through public power. Public power means that we are not beholden to investors, and we are not here to make a profit. Instead, our focus is on generating reliable, low cost electricity for the people in our region. Low rates and low energy bills attracts companies from across the globe – bringing with them high-paying jobs.

Strengthening Public Power

The rapidly evolving energy marketplace has made close partnerships more important than ever. In 2019, local power companies were offered the opportunity to lengthen and strengthen their partnership with TVA. The vast majority of them accepted the offer, helping secure long-term access to the benefits of public power for decades to come. More >

Delivering Power

Local Power Companies

TVA works in partnership with 153 individual local power companies to keep safe, clean, reliable and affordable public power flowing to homes and businesses throughout the seven-state Tennessee Valley region. These local power companies—both municipal utilities and regional cooperatives—purchase power from TVA and distribute it to consumers within their designated service areas, which are illustrated in the map below.


Sales of energy through local power companies account for over 90 percent of TVA’s total revenue. To find out more about your local power company, click here for our comprehensive Valleywide list.

Direct Serve Customers

A total of 52 large, energy-intensive industrial customers count on TVA for a reliable stream of affordable power, as do six federal installations. These directly served customers include producers of primary metals, chemicals, industrial gases, forest products and rolled aluminum products. Sales to these 58 direct serve industrial customers account for about 8 percent of TVA’s revenue.

Off-System Utilities

Twelve southeastern U.S. utilities buy power from TVA on the interchange market, accounting for about 1 percent of TVA’s total revenue.