KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors is scheduled to hold its quarterly business meeting Nov. 10, but it may be the last meeting for some time in which the board has enough members to conduct official business.
TVA’s nine-member board is already operating below full strength, and the terms of two current directors are set to expire at the beginning of 2027. If replacements are not confirmed before then, the board will fall below the number of members required to establish a quorum.
Board members Arthur Graham and Bobby Klein officially reached the end of their terms on May 18. Under federal law, both have continued serving temporarily, but that authority expires when the new legislative session begins on Jan. 3, 2027.
If both members leave as scheduled, TVA’s board would drop to four members. Board rules require at least five directors to be seated in order to achieve a quorum and approve major actions.
Without a quorum, TVA would be able to continue routine operations and previously approved programs. However, the authority’s bylaws limit the board’s ability to launch new initiatives, change strategic direction or approve significant policy decisions.
The situation places added focus on ongoing nomination efforts in Washington.
President Donald Trump has nominated Graham for reappointment and has nominated Lee Beaman to fill the seat that would be vacated by Klein. However, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has not scheduled confirmation hearings for the nominees.
If the Senate does not act before January, TVA could once again find itself operating without a quorum, similar to challenges the board experienced during 2025 following several board dismissals.
TVA recently released the agenda for its Nov. 10 board meeting, but no discussion regarding the potential quorum issue is currently listed.
Following the November meeting, the board is not scheduled to meet again until February.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider, supplying electricity to more than 10 million people across seven Southeastern states. In addition to power generation, the agency manages the Tennessee River system for flood control, navigation and economic development throughout the region.
The upcoming months could determine whether TVA enters 2027 with a fully functioning board or faces new restrictions on its ability to make major decisions.
