William “Bill” Johnson-President TVA
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The TVA Board of Directors announced today that William D. Johnson, former chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Progress Energy, Inc., will become president & CEO of the $11 billion federal agency, effective January 1, 2013. Johnson, 58, will succeed Tom Kilgore, 64, who has served as TVA’s first president & CEO since 2006.
TVA Board Chair Bill Sansom said in a press conference at TVA’s Knoxville Headquarters, “We are very fortunate to have someone of Bill Johnson’s caliber as TVA’s next president & CEO. Bill is a seasoned CEO with deep experience leading a company with a diverse energy portfolio – from coal and gas, to nuclear, hydro and renewables. TVA will benefit from his strong leadership skills, deep industry expertise and ability to drive employee engagement.”
“I am excited and honored to be selected to lead this organization in its mission of providing low-cost and ever cleaner energy, and promoting stewardship of the resources of the Tennessee Valley. I am particularly pleased to be following in the footsteps of Tom Kilgore, an outstanding leader whom I have long admired,” said Johnson. “TVA and the people who work there have had a dramatic positive impact on the quality of life in the Tennessee Valley, and I look forward to being a part of the dynamic team serving the people of the region.”
According to Sansom, Johnson’s annual compensation consists of $950,000 in salary and potential additional compensation of $3 million which is at-risk and may be awarded based on short- and long-term incentives tied to performance objectives and retention incentives.
Johnson was chairman, president and CEO of Progress Energy, Inc., an electric utility based in Raleigh, N.C., from October 2007 to July 2012. He was with Progress Energy (previously CP&L) in a number of roles since 1992, including president and chief operating officer of Progress Energy; group president for Energy Delivery, president and chief executive officer for Progress Energy Service Company, LLC, and general counsel and secretary for Progress Energy, Inc. He was instrumental in the merger between Progress and Duke Energy.
Prior to this, Johnson was a partner with the Raleigh office of Hunton & Williams, where he specialized in the representation of utilities.
Johnson served as vice chair and on the executive committee of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and was chairman of the board of directors of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). He was also a member of the boards of directors of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited (NEIL), and other community and charitable organizations. Johnson has held numerous leadership positions at the state and local level, including serving as chairman of the North Carolina Chamber.
He graduated from Duke University summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history, and received a law degree with high honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1982.
Kilgore will continue to lead TVA until Johnson’s arrival, and then support his smooth transition into the Federal agency. Johnson will operate from TVA’s headquarters in Knoxville.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for business customers and distribution utilities that serve 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.
