KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority today named Mike Balduzzi its senior vice president and chief nuclear officer, effective January 23.

Reporting to Joe Grimes, executive vice president, generation, Balduzzi will be responsible for leading, operating and optimizing TVA’s nuclear fleet as part of its diverse portfolio of energy generation.

“Mike’s effective leadership and strong operational experience have helped us focus on achieving operational excellence throughout the organization,” Grimes said.  “His expansive industry experience and success in his prior role make Mike an excellent choice to lead the Nuclear organization in achieving and sustaining top industry performance.”

Balduzzi joined TVA as the senior vice president of nuclear operations in January 2014 after serving as the senior vice president of nuclear technical services for Entergy Nuclear. With more than 34 years of experience in the nuclear industry, he has held numerous leadership roles in operations, maintenance, and oversight activities at a number of nuclear facilities, including Vermont Yankee, Nine Mile Point and Pilgrim.

Balduzzi has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has also completed the Senior Nuclear Plant Management Course at INPO and the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, while serving as a Director on the National Nuclear Accrediting Board.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides energy for business customers and local power distributors serving more than 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.