All Reports

At the request of the TVA Supply Chain, we reviewed a cost proposal submitted for a planned $30 million contract to provide hydro modernization, unit rehabilitation, and functional support services in support of TVA's hydro facilities. The objective of our review was to determine if the cost proposal was fairly stated. In summary, except for excessive costs included in the proposed markup rates and labor and burden rates, nothing came to our attention that indicated the cost proposal was not fairly stated.

The OIG performed this audit to determine Enterprise Architecture and Planning's (EAP) current effectiveness and actions completed in the implementation of management action plans in response to a previous audit, and TVA IT's 1,000 Days to Success initiative (IT1K). The TVA OIG also assessed the design of the management action plans and IT1K program as well as identified gaps related to any outcomes not met.We found while EAP's operational maturity has improved, actual IT project delivery has been inconsistent.

The likelihood of fire is lower at hydro plants than at coal plants, but hydro plants are not without fire risk. Hydroelectric stations share many of the same fire hazards as coal plants, such as oil-filled transformers, electrical cables and switchgear, air-cooled generators, and large quantities of combustible hydraulic oil. Hydro plants are typically an underground/underwater windowless structure.

Due to TVA aging equipment and the risk parts would be unavailable, the OIG scheduled a review of Hydro Generation obsolete equipment. The objective of our review was to determine if Hydro Generation was effectively managing obsolete equipment. During our review, we found Hydro Generation could more effectively manage obsolete equipment. We found there was no documented guidance to specify how obsolete equipment should be managed. In addition, we found obsolete equipment had extended outage durations.

This review was initiated to assess recent efforts by the TVA Nuclear Power Group (NPG) to improve outage performance. The objective of the OIG's review was to determine whether the initiatives implemented by the NPG to improve outage performance achieved planned results and current improvement efforts can be improved. We found cost structure development and controls initiatives improved outage performance with respect to cost; however, outage duration and dose continue to miss business plan goals.

In response to increasing workplace violence occurring throughout the country and weaknesses identified in a previous OIG evaluation, 2012-14636 - Master Key Program Management - Property and Natural Resources, the OIG initiated a review of TVA firearms and ammunition. The objective of our review was to determine if firearms and ammunition are properly accounted for and safeguarded.

Fires in substations can severely impact the supply of power to customers and the utility company's revenue and assets. These fires can also create a fire hazard to utility personnel, emergency personnel, and the general public. There are 14 sites managed by Transmission that have fire protection systems to protect their 500-kilovolt transformers.

The OIG audited electronic communications by the TVA Board of Directors. The objective was to evaluate controls over the electronic distribution of TVA business information to and from the Board by non-TVA managed mediums. We determined current Board email practices were consistent with the Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014. In addition, we found the third-party service used to distribute sensitive documents to the Board had appropriate processes and controls in place as reported by another independent audit company.

Nuclear Power Group (NPG) Business Practice (BP) 247, Revision 9, Emerging Regulatory Issues Management Process, "establishes a process to identify, categorize, manage, monitor and provide statuses to senior management on issues that may have regulatory impacts on Nuclear Power Group (NPG) or NPG managed material licenses." The OIG determined the process for addressing nuclear emerging regulatory issues (ERI) is generally effective.During the period of our review, September 26, 2009, through September 26, 2014, we identified no instances where TVA overlooked an ERI related to NRC-

The OIG evaluated the efficiency of TVA's hiring process from when the need to hire an annual employee was identified until the position was filled.