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The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Cost-cutting efforts by the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiated by the Trump administration have inspired other federal and local entities to cut out some of the fat in their operations as well.
On Wednesday, May 14th, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) publicly announced a new executive team whose role is to cut operational costs by almost $1 billion.
Brand-new TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Don Moul leads this new team.
TVA’s plan to cut its operating costs by $950 million, specifically costs related to staffing and the products and services it obtains from third-party entities, has been in the works for over a year.
According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Former TVA Chief Financial Officer John Thomas informed the TVA board about the budgeting plan back in August of last year.
“We have cumulative $950 million in savings built into the plan, and we still have a lot of work to do to realize those savings,” stated Thomas. “By the time you get to the end of 2026, that will mean $500 million of efficiency gains every year that will need to stay in forever.”
Servicing the state of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virgina, TVA is a federal agency created by the U.S. Congress in 1933.
However, the corporate agency has been self-funded since 1959 and does not rely on the appropriation of taxpayer dollars.
Because of the agency’s financial self-reliance, recent buyouts offered to federal employees by the Trump administration do not apply to TVA employees according to TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks.
So last year the agency internally announced its own voluntary buyout program to reduce its workforce of approximately 11,000, offering qualifying employees 5 days of pay for every full year of service with a 150-day maximum.
This operational cost-cutting effort works in tandem with TVA’s plan for its largest capital investment yet of $16 billion to build new power plants and upgrade transmission lines.
The public power company is not the only entity to announce such an initiative.
The “DOGE-inspired” Hamilton County Efficiency Task Force, established early this year, announced on Thursday that they found $3.7 million in immediate annual savings for the county and $50.5 million in long-term savings over the next decade.
A May 15th press release states that the task force recommends freezing chronically vacant positions, renegotiating contracts, cutting utility costs at aging facilities, as well as streamlining procurement and technology use.
Key numbers from their findings include:
- Immediate Annual Savings: $3,709,280
- Recommended One-Time Savings: $14,008,112
- Expected 10-Year Savings: $50,542,912
- Potential 10-Year Savings (subject to additional capital asset divestment): $79,842,912
“We are working toward a smarter, more efficient government,” said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “Through conservative leadership and disciplined stewardship of taxpayer dollars, we’re making real changes that will modernize Hamilton County Government, cut waste, and ensure long-term efficiencies that protect taxpayer dollars.”
The task force roster included Chief Operating Officer David Roddy, Deputy CFO Vonda Patrick, Procurement & Fleet Management Deputy Director Lindsey Parrish, County Audit Manager Austin Durall, Development Services Director Nathan Janeway and Mayor Wamp.
Efficiency efforts focused on by the task force include the following:
- Modernizing Office Practices: Discontinuing ink and toner purchases for desktop printers to reduce supply costs and accelerate our transition to a primarily paperless county government; streamlining internal mail service for County General Government by transitioning to a digital model.
- Facility Optimization: Launched a full review of county-owned buildings to identify and address inefficient facilities, reducing long-term utility and maintenance costs.
- Reduced Vehicle Costs: Pursuing grants to transition to electric vehicles, reducing long-term lease expenses; reducing the county fleet by seven vehicles.
- Streamlined Purchasing: Centralized departmental purchasing under one Amazon Business account to eliminate duplicative orders, improve oversight, and decrease shipping expenses.
- Smarter Tech Management: Tightened policies on county-issued phones and tablets, ensuring deactivated or unused devices are returned and not billed; 80 total devices eliminated.
- Public Works Consolidation at Cromwell: Follow through on consolidating operations from PLM III and White Oak into the Cromwell site—lowering facility and fuel costs and improving operational efficiency.
Savings from recommended efficiency efforts are broken down as follows:
- Frozen & eliminated positions: $1,862,514
- Contract renegotiations: $823,815
- Facility utility cost cuts: $687,680
- Supply reductions: $177,505
- Reduced vehicle cost: $157,766
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
