Energy

Throughout my career in public service, I have been a strong proponent of efforts to lower energy costs, invest in renewable energy resources, promote energy independence and create a stronger, more secure economy. Between 2025 and 2030, electricity demand in the U.S. is expected to increase by 25%. Meeting this demand will require a multifaceted approach, including new energy development and increasing efficiency.

We have a choice. Either we can drill or mine our way further into dependence on fossil fuels, turn a blind eye to the destruction of the environment, and exacerbate public health and wellness with the extraction and consumption of dirty fuels; or we can create a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs and protects the environment and the public health of future generations. For me the choice is clear, I choose the latter and that I why I voted for the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provided $65 billion to clean energy development and energy grid improvements and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that provided for $369 billion to lower energy costs, invest in clean energy sources, and reduce carbon emissions.

I have opposed the Trump Administration’s efforts to cancel awarded grants for clean energy development such as solar panels, offshore wind and battery development and am cosponsoring legislation to encourage investments in energy infrastructure.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)

The TVA plays a vital role in powering our region, driving economic development, and managing the natural resources of the Tennessee Valley. As the nation’s largest public power utility, TVA must be held to the highest standards of transparency, environmental responsibility, and public accountability.

Accountability and Transparency

In March 2024 and January 2025, the House passed my TVA Salary Transparency Act, which would require TVA to publicly report its management structure and executive compensation each year. TVA is a federally owned corporation funded by ratepayers, and the public has a right to know how those dollars are being spent. This legislation promotes transparency, ensures fiscal responsibility, and strengthens oversight of an agency that provides energy to 10 million people in seven states, including every Tennessean.

Environmental Stewardship and the Kingston Coal Ash Spill

In December 2008, a coal ash pond at Kingston, Tennessee, ruptured and spilled five million cubic yards of coal ash across 300 acres — the largest coal ash disaster in U.S. history. In the aftermath, I urged TVA to explore all possible means of recovering cleanup costs without passing the burden on to Tennessee utility customers. I also introduced the Ensuring the Safe Disposal of Coal Ash Act to strengthen protections against coal ash contamination.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), the largest of TVA’s 158 distributors and responsible for roughly 10 percent of its power demand, serves more than 420,000 homes and businesses in Memphis and Shelby County. Protecting ratepayers from unnecessary cost increases has remained a top priority throughout my oversight of TVA.

Clean Energy and Economic Development

As TVA looks to the future, it must embrace clean, reliable, and affordable energy while continuing to support job creation and regional growth. I have consistently pushed TVA to invest in renewable power generation, modernize its infrastructure, and strengthen environmental safeguards to protect the air, water, and communities of the Tennessee Valley.

Additionally, I have cosponsored many pieces of legislation to lower energy costs, crack down on price gouging by oil companies, reduce our dependency on foreign oil and promote overall energy efficiency.