Tennessee Valley Authority
/ˌtenəsiː ˈvæli ɔːθɒrəti/
/ˌtenəsiː ˈvæli əθɔːrəti/
(abbreviation TVA)
- an independent US government organization that provides electricity to seven southern states. TVA was established in 1933 by President Franklin D Roosevelt, as part of his New Deal, to encourage the economic development of the area around the Tennessee River. As well as providing electricity it builds and operates dams (= barriers across rivers), controls floods and protects the soil.