Craven Crowell Former Chairman of the TVA

Biography of Craven Crowell

Craven Crowell served for eight years as Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), guiding the New Deal federal agency from the 20th to the 21st Century.

He was appointed to the TVA Board of Directors by President Clinton, who designated him as Chairman following confirmation by the US Senate in 1993.

Crowell was the 11th Chairman of TVA. Crowell retired from TVA in April 2001 after 25 years of federal government service.

He is now a partner at Oliver Wyman, an international consulting firm with offices in 16 countries. Crowell specializes in energy and water resource consulting.

Crowell is a former Chairman of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of Palo Alto, California, and has served as a member of the EPRI Advisory Council and as a director of EPRI Worldwide. He also served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

In 2002, Governor Niu Maosheng appointed Crowell to the position of International Economic Advisor to the People's Government of the Hebei Province, China. Earlier, in 1997, Crowell became the first non-Chinese citizen to be named honorary president of Hohai University in Nanjing, China.

During his service as Chairman of TVA, the agency recorded many significant and historic achievements, including the following:

Capping TVA's debt after 35 years of uninterrupted increases and then lowering it by more than $1.7 billion.

Completing construction on the first unit at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in 1996, giving it the distinction of being the last nuclear unit to be brought on line in the United States.

Achieving a reputation of excellence for TVA's nuclear power program, with all five units among the top performers in the nation. All five received the prestigious INPO 1 rating, the highest possible rating from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.

Launching TVA's first "green power" renewable energy program, featuring the largest wind turbine in the Southeast.

Transferring responsibility for funding TVA's "non-power" activities to TVA's general budget, thereby saving the U.S. taxpayers about $100 million a year and ending direct taxpayer funding of TVA programs.

Having only one increase in electric rates in eight years, with all the proceeds from the increase going to debt reduction.

Adopting a comprehensive management policy for the 11,000 miles of shoreline along the Tennessee River System.

Improving benefits for employees and retirees, including giving veterans more retirement credit for their military service.

Crowell's international work after his retirement from TVA was a continuation of his efforts in promoting TVA's international activities with global bond issues in Europe and Asia and business partnerships in China. In 1996, working with the State of Tennessee, TVA sponsored the Economic Opportunities through Water and Energy Conference in Beijing.

After Crowell signed three Memorandums of Understanding with the Chinese Ministries of Water Resources and Electric Power, TVA began sharing its expertise on several large projects in China relating to river management, hydroelectric dams, and upgrading of electric power systems. In 2001, Crowell keynoted a conference in Beijing on the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

In speeches at Harvard University, Stanford University, the City Club of Cleveland, the Orange County World Affairs Council, and the Institute of Economic Affairs European Electricity Conference in Brussels, Crowell emerged as an industry expert on the importance of promoting public power's continuing role in a deregulated electric utility industry.

He also has lectured at the Hohai University and was a keynote speaker at the first International Yellow River forum in Zhengzhou, China.

Crowell had more than 17 years of experience with the TVA, having served previously as a vice president and member of the senior management team. Prior to becoming Chairman of TVA, he was Chief of Staff to U. S. Senator Jim Sasser, who was Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and later served as Ambassador to the People's Republic of China. Early in his career, Crowell was an award-winning reporter and city editor at the Nashville Tennessean. Among those on his staff was reporter Al Gore, the future Vice President of the United States and Nobel Prize winner.

He is a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and received his bachelor's degree from Lipscomb University. He was named Alumnus of the Year in 1995. Crowell served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a commissioned officer in the Naval Reserve. Crowell and his wife, Freddie, have one daughter.

Craven Crowell can be contacted by telephone (865-671-3398); by fax (865-671-3399); or by e-mail (craven.crowell@gmail.com).