Dreams of a Region

Time Capsule at Four TVA Dams in July

Home to some of the most elite craftworkers in the utility industry, TVA’s Power Service Shops (PSS) is a high-tech hub for restoring massive, multimillion-dollar power generation components.

When the nation’s largest public power system needs its biggest, most complex components repaired, this is where it comes – into the hands of experts who specialize in this work.

But on one recent weekday, the work felt different – more ceremonial than mechanical.

Around mid-morning, a small team of PSS employees gathered around as a Haas CNC mill precisely etched three final numbers into a 15-by-11-inch metal plate.

2, 5 and 0.

And beneath it, a message:

May these stories and hopes remind future generations of our commitment to community, service and the always-bright American future.

Sealed: 2026. Open: 2076.

For TVA, it took just a few weeks of planning to get to this special moment.

For the nation, it took 250 years – every single one of them chockful of innovation, ingenuity, persistence, grit, dreams and the infinite other elements that stir the American spirit.

A Power Service Shops employee operates a mill that etches the time capsule’s nameplate.

“The Power Service Shops are unique because we can repair TVA assets in-house,” said Doug Keeling, vice president of TVA Power Service Shops and Regional Maintenance. “Being part of the 250th celebration is meaningful to us because, in a small way, we’re continuing that legacy – contributing a symbolic piece to this time capsule honoring America’s 250th.

“Our work has always been about keeping TVA assets running smoothly for years to come. It's inspiring to know that when this time capsule is opened years from now, TVA will still be doing this work and even more."

After completing the engraving, the PSS team attached the custom nameplate onto TVA’s new time capsule, which will eventually be encased in glass and mounted on a wooden pedestal handcrafted by Kevin McConnell and Raymond Moore Jr., carpenters at the PSS.

Throughout July, the time capsule will be filled with notes from people throughout the Valley region and beyond as it tours four TVA dams in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Guests at the visitor centers at Kentucky Dam, Norris Dam, Fontana Dam and Raccoon Mountain can submit messages to consider for inclusion in the time capsule – their reflections on life in the Valley region in 2026, and their hopes for the people of 2076.

Those sentiments – some simple, some symbolic – will offer future generations a glimpse into the lives and aspirations of today’s generation of families, friends, teachers, engineers, builders, small business owners, public servants and others from all walks of life.

Messages can also be submitted online at the Building the Next 250 site.

“We can’t wait to read all the messages from our neighbors around the Valley region,” TVA historian Jennifer Thelen said. “We view the time capsule as a gift from today to the future.

“TVA has been part of the Valley region’s story for nearly a century – and it will be exciting to see how it continues to advance prosperity and innovation in the decades to come.”

Later this year, the time capsule will be sealed and placed on permanent display at Norris Dam’s visitor center, where it will stand until its opening in 2076.

What will remain, over the next half century, will not just be a box that greets passing tour groups and TVA employees in their daily work.

It will be a testament to the legacy of a region and its people – and a public power company that has carried forward a mission of service that began more than 93 years ago.

TVA has served as a beacon of hope and progress for the Valley region and its communities, energizing homes, businesses and dreams through a network of nuclear, hydro, coal and gas generating sites, and a transmission system that spans more than 16,500 miles.

If the last nine decades brought us this far, what possibilities will the next 50 years unlock?

New technologies.

New neighbors.

And new chapters, yet unwritten.

Schematics for the time capsule and pedestal assembly.

 Seen through green-tinted laser-safe glass, a CNC mill at the Power Service Shops engraves the time capsule's nameplate.

The finished nameplate will adorn the time capsule.

Kevin McConnell, left, and Raymond Moore Jr., carpenters at the Power Service Shops, craft the time capsule's pedestal.