Jeff Lyash is president and chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Appointed by the Board of Directors in February 2019, Lyash leads the nation’s largest public utility in its mission of service to the people of the Tennessee Valley region.
He is also chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute executive committee, providing oversight to NEI on policy affairs on behalf of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Lyash is as comfortable talking with a crew in a plant as he is in the boardroom. His exceptional people skills and technical experience make him one of the top leaders in the energy industry.
Before taking the helm at TVA, Lyash served as president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation Inc., one of the largest electric generating companies in Canada with a diverse fleet of nuclear, hydroelectric, gas, biomass, and renewable generating stations.
Lyash was formerly the president of CB&I Power, where he was responsible for a full range of engineering, procurement, and construction of multi-billion-dollar electric generation projects in both domestic and international markets. He also provided operating plant services for nuclear, coal, gas, oil, and renewable generation.
Prior to joining CB&I, Lyash served as executive vice president of Energy Supply for Duke Energy, where he led engineering, maintenance, and operations of the company's 42,000-megawatt generation fleet, fuel procurement, power trading, major projects and construction, environmental programs, and health and safety programs.
Before the merger of Progress Energy and Duke Energy, Lyash was executive vice president of Energy Supply for Progress Energy. In this role, he oversaw Progress Energy's diverse 22,000-megawatt fleet of generating resources, including nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, and hydroelectric stations. In addition, Lyash was responsible for generating fleet fuel procurement and power trading operations.
Lyash joined Progress Energy in 1993, serving as executive vice president of corporate development, president and chief executive officer of Progress Energy Florida, senior vice president of Energy Delivery Florida, and vice president of Transmission.
Lyash began his career in the utility industry in 1981 and worked for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in senior technical and management positions throughout the Northeast and in Washington, D.C. He received the NRC Meritorious Service Award in 1987.
Lyash earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University and was honored with the Drexel University Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2009. He has held a senior reactor operator license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and is a graduate of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Executive Training Program and the Duke Fuqua School of Business Advanced Management Program.
Lyash is an avid golfer and fly fisherman. He and his wife, Tracy, enjoy cooking, skiing, reading, and charitable work – and spending time with their two married children and nine grandchildren. The Lyashes live in Knoxville, Tennessee.
