Energy-Efficiency Expert Pushed for TVA Board

By The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Obama administration has angered Tennessee’s U.S. senators by nominating energy-efficiency expert Marilyn Brown for a full term on the TVA board.

The nomination, sent to the Senate on Thursday night, comes two months after Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker procedurally blocked a previous attempt by President Barack Obama to gain confirmation of Brown to a six-year term.

Brown was appointed to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors in 2010 to fill out an unexpired term until 2012. Both Alexander and Corker expressed irritation, but did not say they would try to block the nomination again.

The Tennessean, however, quoted Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, who called the news releases “a pretty clear signal” from the lawmakers.