Following President Bush's nomination of Donald R. DePriest of Columbus, Mississippi to the restructured Tennessee Valley Authority Board, Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. released the following statement:"Again, President Bush missed another opportunity to nominate a well-qualified West Tennessean and African American to the board. It is disappointing that the interests of West Tennessee, home to TVA's largest utility customer, remain unrepresented on the newly expanded board.
"Moreover, all of the nominees should anticipate rigorous and fair questioning about their ideas and perspectives on energy reform, the possibility of TVA customers being able to purchase energy from outside the TVA fence, the prospect for rate increases and TVA's role in fostering economic growth opportunities throughout the Valley."
TVA Board members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. At least seven of the nine Board members must be residents of the TVA service territory. Current board members Bill Baxter and Skila Harris will continue to serve as the board expands to nine.
