The TVA was created under the New Deal and remains federally owned despite funding its operations through the sale of electricity. Advocates said privatization would result in higher costs for families and instability for thousands of workers.
Stephen Farner, vice president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, which represents TVA employees, said states like Kentucky stand to lose good-paying jobs with privatization.
"We've got a number of projects in the pipeline now, projects going on in Kentucky, in Tennessee, and those projects would be at risk," Farner explained.
The Trump administration fired several TVA board members this spring and there have been ongoing federal talks since January to oust the CEO.
The TVA's CEO stressed the utility is sticking to its original mission of energy development and supporting employees. Meanwhile, groups like the Heritage Foundation claim privatization could save $2 billion annually through "reduced bureaucracy and market competition." Farner noted Kentuckians could face higher utility costs.
"Investor-owned utilities, their obligation is to their shareholders," Farner pointed out. "Not to the citizens, not to the communities, not to the public entities that exist there, not to the employees, certainly."
The TVA provides electricity to 10 million people across seven states. It operates dams, nuclear plants and renewable energy projects with a mandate for affordable power and economic development.