Michael (Mike) D. Skaggs

Mike Skaggs, who has over 35 years of experience in the utility industry—and more than 26 of those years at TVA—is serving as executive vice president and advisor to the chief executive officer until he retires in January 2022.  In this role, which he was named to in June 2021, he advises the chief executive officer on critical enterprise initiatives and projects.

Previously, Skaggs served as TVA’s chief operations officer. In that capacity, he was responsible for key areas of the business, including: Safety; Transmission and Power Supply; Coal, Gas, and Hydro Generation; Integrated River System Management; Natural Resources; Environment; Supply Chain; Major Projects; Coal Combustion Residuals Project Implementation; Facilities Management; TVA Police and Emergency Management; and Enterprise Improvement.

As director of TVA’s many different types of generation assets, he was responsible for ensuring that TVA could keep the lights on now and in the future. With his unique focus on operational excellence, Skaggs brought to TVA new levels of excellence in decision making, asset planning, and performance improvement.

Skaggs’ focus on the individual contributor led him to promote a safety-first mindset at TVA, and he introduced and championed the company’s four vital safety behaviors. He also introduced a revitalized effort to identify and develop leaders within TVA to ensure the seamless, reliable functioning of the company for many years to come.

With reliability at the forefront, Skaggs oversaw an effort to modernize and enhance TVA’s transmission grid so that it is more flexible, responsive, and ready to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. He also oversaw the River Forecast Center, which has helped to prevent more than $9.5 billion in flood damage across the Tennessee Valley region.

An engineer by training, he joined the company to manage performance analysis for initial Watts Bar Nuclear Plant operations before overseeing capital projects for TVA’s transmission system, substations and telecommunications.  

Before moving into the chief operations officer role, Skaggs was TVA’s senior vice president of Operations and Construction at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. In this position, Skaggs provided oversight of the completion, integration, startup and power ascension testing of Unit 2—the nation’s first new nuclear generation of the 21st century. Prior to assuming management of Watts Bar operations and construction in 2013, Skaggs served as senior vice president of Nuclear Construction, with responsibility for Watts Bar Unit 2, Bellefonte and the Sequoyah Unit 2 steam generator replacement project.

In addition to leading the completion effort of Watts Bar Unit 2, Skaggs’ experience includes the completion and startup of Watts Bar Unit 1; the recovery of Browns Ferry Unit 1 to return that site to full, three-unit operation; and the successful management of two steam generator replacement projects. He has held top management posts at each of the company’s three operating nuclear plants and led a number of initiatives across the nuclear fleet that resulted in improved operational performance, organizational alignment and cultural health.

A registered professional engineer, Skaggs holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and earned a senior reactor certification at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant.