KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Thursday that Stephen Craven, a Transmission & Power Supply engineer with ten years of service, has received the agency’s highest engineering honor — the Ike Zeringue Engineer of the Year award.   

TVA has one of the largest power grids in the nation. Craven, an electrical engineer, is responsible for aspects of the agency’s cybersecurity efforts for substations and power system communications. His accomplishments include developing an architecture that makes critical communications between electrical substations faster, safer, and more secure. Craven’s architecture is now TVA’s standard. This new approach is being shared with other utilities through the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to help modernize our nation’s power grid, improving resiliency while remaining safe from cybersecurity threats.

TVA is one of the nation’s great engineering organizations. We are proud of our team’s ability to deliver innovative solutions to solve complex challenges like our nation’s energy security issues,” said TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. “This year, we recognize Stephen, who exemplifies excellence in the engineering field. Stephen’s work is critical to protecting our power grid as our nation transitions to a clean energy economy.”  

Craven’s inventiveness comes naturally as his grandfather and father both worked as engineers for TVA. He continues his family’s service by helping ensure TVA can provide affordable, clean, reliable, and resilient electricity to nearly 10 million people across seven states.

“Stephen’s innovative approach and leadership not only help secure our electric grid from cyber-threats but also gives our region a competitive advantage as we generate electricity to power the region’s growing economy – while keeping TVA’s power rates among the lowest in the nation,” said Aaron Melda, TVA senior vice president, Transmission & Power Supply.   

The award is named for O.J. “Ike” Zeringue, a former TVA president, chief operating officer, and chief nuclear officer. Craven is also one of the top 10 finalists for the Federal Engineer of the Year Award, which will be presented on Feb. 24 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Craven is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He also holds a master’s degree from Georgia Tech and earned a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Before coming to TVA, Craven worked as a computer chip designer, security researcher, and professor at UTC.       

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies, serving nearly 10 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. It also assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.