The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced the appointment of Michael D. Skaggs as the publicly owned utility’s new president and CEO through April 2027. Skaggs’ appointment follows the recent retirement of former Don Moul, who retired shortly after President Donald Trump capped pay at $500,000 for TVA executives.
A press release from the TVA Board of Directors last Friday described Skaggs (pictured above) as a leader with 40 years of industry experience, mostly at TVA, where he most recently served for three years as the chief operating officer during Trump’s first term in the White House.
He first worked for the TVA as a project manager at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City, Tennessee, during the 1990s, according to the TVA. The utility added that Skaggs’ leadership will see the utility continue its recent efforts to increase nuclear energy generation.
“Mike’s leadership and deep knowledge of nuclear generation aligns directly with TVA’s strategic focus on expanding and modernizing its nuclear fleet to support the region’s growing energy needs,” stated TVA Board Chair Mitch Graves, adding that Skaggs would continue TVA’s plans to “advance nuclear innovation and plan for future capacity.”
TVA announced Moul’s intention to retire on April 3, stating he would leave the position on July 1. He was appointed TVA’s top executive in April 2025.
The announcement came about three weeks after Trump signed his executive order, Promoting Fiscal Responsibility in Compensation Practices at the Tennessee Valley Authority, instructing the TVA to adopt policies capping annual executive compensation at $500,000 within 90 days.
Notably, in a letter submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the TVA offered Skaggs $499,000 annually, with “Additional Compensation” up to $500,000 if he meets a series of objectives set by the board.
These include making TVA a dominant provider of energy, emphasizing on nuclear power generation, growing TVA customers including through artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, improving the reputation of the publicly owned utility, and overseeing the transition to a permanent CEO.
Since Trump returned to the White House, four of his nominations to the TVA board have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate, giving the president-appointed members a firm majority.
Only the appointment of Lee Beaman remains outstanding, as the Tennessee businessman originally received the presidential nomination last year but the Senate declined to advance it to a full vote. Trump appointed Beaman a second time early this year, but the Senate has not acted since the nomination was referred to the Environment and Public Works Committee on January 13.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mike Skaggs” by Tennessee Valley Authority.
