During the Great Depression, the Tennessee Valley region was especially hard hit. Incomes of less than $639 per year, outbreaks of malaria, and low crop yields were only some of the hardships faced by locals. As a part of the New Deal in 1933, the Tennessee Valley Authority developed programs to teach farmers techniques to improve their crops, replanted forests and took measures to prevent forest fires, and started various environmental projects. Most importantly, the TVA generated electricity through dams. This cheap hydroelectric power brought affordable electricity to the reqion, which made life much easier for the citizens of the Tennessee Valley.

Goals

The basic goals of the TVA were to provide employment in the Tennessee Valley area, as well as inexpensive electricity and education on farming techniques. The TVA created jobs in conservation, economic development, and social programs. However, it employed the most people in the manual labor of dam construction. The successful dams became an affordable source of power, and farmers adopted the TVA's agricultural methods. Overall, the TVA was a highly productive organization.

TVA Today

Withstanding the test of time, the TVA still exists today as one of the largest producers of electricity in America. The TVA controls 11 fossil fuel power plants, 29 hydroelectric dams, 3 nuclear power plants, and 6 combustion power plants. The organization is continually collecting environmental data, closely monitoring both the air and water quality. In addition, the TVA continues to support economic development in the region. Although over 7 decades have passed since its creation, the TVA has held tightly to its mission to improve the quality of life in the Tennessee Valley.