ROTM | Energy, Agriculture, and the Future of Powering Rural Tennessee

The Tennessee Valley Authority has played a major role in powering communities across the region for decades—but today the mission is evolving. As Tennessee’s population grows and new technologies increase energy demand, TVA is working to expand and modernize the grid while continuing to serve rural communities and the agricultural backbone of the state. In this episode, we sit down with Scott Turnbow to talk about how TVA is supporting farmers across rural Tennessee and helping communities prepare for the future. We discuss the unique energy needs of agriculture, how TVA partners with rural areas to support economic development, and the new energy sources being explored to meet rising demand. We also dive into one of the biggest emerging challenges in the energy world: the rapid growth of AI and data centers. As more of these facilities move into rural areas, TVA is working to ensure the infrastructure is ready to support them while maintaining reliable and affordable power for the region.