Fact check: Behn’s claim that TVA is facing an active privatization push

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Democratic congressional candidate Aftyn Behn has intensified her warnings that “billionaires and political insiders” are attempting to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority, telling supporters this week that an “existential fight” is underway over the future of the federally owned utility.

Behn’s claim centers on President Trump’s recent removal of three TVA board members and the pending confirmation of several nominees with political or donor backgrounds. She argues that this reshuffling is part of an effort by administration allies and supporters of Republican nominee Matt Van Epps to sell off TVA and raise electricity costs across the region.

A review of public records, congressional testimony and past federal proposals shows the picture is more complicated. While TVA has periodically appeared in federal budget discussions about privatization or asset sales — including a 2014 Obama administration proposal to explore selling TVA’s transmission assets — there is no current plan from the administration, Congress or the TVA board to privatize the agency.

President Trump did remove three Biden-appointed TVA board members earlier this year, leaving the utility without a quorum. The White House subsequently nominated a slate that includes Nashville businessman and major GOP donor Lee Beaman, who previously told the Nashville Business Journal he “leans toward” privatizing TVA but later emphasized he was “no expert” on the issue. At an October Senate hearing, all nominees who appeared said they do not support privatizing TVA or selling its assets.

Advocacy groups and public-power organizations have nevertheless raised concerns that the new board structure could reopen long-standing debates over the role of federal utilities. The Obama and Trump administrations each floated versions of TVA-related asset sales in prior budget cycles, but none advanced in Congress.

Behn’s warnings that privatization would lead to higher electricity bills, fewer union jobs and reduced oversight reflect arguments made by unions and public-power advocates in previous national debates. Those outcomes are potential risks identified in academic studies and congressional analyses, but they are not tied to any current federal policy.

No legislation, rulemaking or budget proposal in 2025 calls for privatizing TVA. No member of Tennessee’s congressional delegation has introduced a measure seeking to do so.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to review Beaman’s nomination on Dec. 3.