Hixson Utility District Competitors

For more than nine decades, the Tennessee Valley Authority has provided affordable electricity, environmental stewardship and economic development opportunities to the Tennessee Valley. TVA was established by Congress in 1933 to address a wide range of environmental, economic and technological issues, including the need for low-cost electricity, and navigation and flood control along the Tennessee River system. TVA is fully self-financing, funding virtually all operations through electricity sales and power system bond financing. TVA makes no profit and receives no tax money. TVA’s power service territory includes most off Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia, covering 80,000 square miles and providing electricity to 10 million people at prices below the national average, TVA sales electricity to 153 local power companies and 61 directly served customers, including 54 industrial customers and 7 military and federal installations. Mission: TVA was built for the people – to improve the quality of life in a seven-state region through the integrated management of the region’s resources. The mission focuses on three key areas: • Energy – To provide reliable, affordable electric power throughout the Tennessee Valley. • Environment – To be a steward of the region’s natural resources. • Economic Development – To serve as a catalyst for sustainable economic development. ENERGY: As the nation’s largest government-owned power provider, TVA delivers reliable, competitively priced electricity local power companies and major industrial customers and federal installations. ENVIRONMENT: The Tennessee Valley Authority is committed to limiting the environmental impact of its operations and protecting the natural resources of the region. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: TVA helps strengthen the regional economy by building partnerships with communities and the business sector to foster job growth and retention.

Surrounded by the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains and recognized as a top adventure college, Western Carolina University is renowned for its unrivaled educational experience, its premier Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, and its gritty Catamounts athletics teams, which compete at the NCAA Division I level. As the westernmost institution in the University of North Carolina System and located on a 600-acre mountain campus in Cullowhee with an instructional site at Biltmore Park in Asheville, WCU offers more than 120 undergraduate programs and more than 40 graduate programs. Consistently ranked in the upper echelon of higher education institutions by U.S. News & World Report, WCU is among the top 10 for public universities in the South and best value universities in the South. The ranking for best value is a reflection of NC Promise, which reduces the cost of tuition to $500 per semester for North Carolina residents and $2,500 per semester for out-of-state students. WCU provides vast opportunities to engage beyond the classroom with more than 170 student organizations, including Greek life featuring 20 sororities and fraternities; the Black Student Union, the Latino Appreciation Student Organization and Intercultural Affairs; and more than 50 club and intramural sports. Students are offered the tools for an engaged learning experience through meaningful service in the community to help transform the college experience, including independent volunteer projects and Days of Service participation. Additionally, WCU provides leadership and advocacy for students and scholars through international programs and activities on campus and the surrounding community, and study abroad opportunities. The campus has a state-of-the-art fitness experience with cardiovascular and weight equipment, multi-purpose courts, an indoor jogging/walking track, group exercise studios, a 48-foot indoor climbing wall, and an on-campus trail system.

Chattanooga, the 4th largest city in the state, is located in Southeast Tennessee near the border of Georgia at the junction of four interstate highways. The city has received national recognition for the renaissance of its beautiful downtown and redevelopment of its riverfront. The city boasts the most productive affordable housing program in the nation, and is notable for leveraging development funds through effective public/private partnerships, with significant civic involvement on the part of private foundations. Chattanooga was one of the first US cities to effectively use a citizen visioning process to set specific long-range goals to enrich the lives of residents and visitors.