Republicans Defend New Deal Program

According to University of Maryland Professor Gar Alperovitz and researcher Thomas M. Hanna, the Obama Administration is considering the possibility of privatizing the Tennessee Valley Authority. But some Congressional Republicans don't like the idea because the TVA is very popular, and provides affordable energy to millions. They realize that privatization is likely drive up energy costs for their constituents.

Alperovitz and Hanna also point out that, in America, "there are more than 2,000 public electric utilities—many in conservative rural areas—and, like the TVA, they are popular among local residents and politicians."

The TVA was created by the Federal Government as part of the New Deal response to the Great Depression. Read about the history of the TVA here.