President Donald Trump has removed Tennessee Valley Authority board Chair Joe Ritch from his post, a surprise move that leaves the federal utility without a functioning board quorum just weeks ahead of a critical vote on its long-term energy strategy.
The dismissal comes one day after the board of directors appointed Don Moul, the utility’s chief operating officer, to take over as CEO. Moul’s elevation defied criticism from Tennessee’s Republican senators, who chastised the utility’s leadership for slow progress in deploying nuclear energy and urged Trump to ensure the next CEO come from outside TVA.
The firing of Ritch, a longtime attorney from Alabama and the board’s last remaining Obama-era appointee, is Trump’s fourth dismissal of a TVA board member after firing L. Michelle Moore last week and two board members during his first term. Board members serve five-year terms. Ritch’s current term was set to expire in May.
But this time, the stakes may be higher. With the board now below quorum, TVA cannot take formal action on major agenda items, potentially delaying decisions on issues like the 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a blueprint for how TVA will power the region for the next 25 years.
