Alexander says TVA critics back Bryant

Alexander says TVA
critics back Bryant

BY ANDY SHER
WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON — Republican Senate candidate Lamar Alexander's campaign is questioning why several Tennessee Valley Authority critics have contributed to GOP rival Ed Bryant's campaign.

Federal Election Commission records filed earlier this month show Duke Power Co.'s political action committee has contributed $2,000 to the Bryant campaign while the American Electric Power PAC gave $1,000 and Reliant Energy gave $1,000.

"I can only assume that's why Congressman Bryant is so interested in lowering the fence on TVA and allowing for deregulation and outside energy companies to come and compete in Tennessee," said Alexander campaign spokesman Kevin Phillips.

Bryant campaign manager Justin Hunter called the assertion "laughable." He said Rep. Bryant's support of a TVA section in an energy bill, which would bring wholesale competition to the Tennessee Valley, will be of help to the region.

"No one has taken a more direct role in protecting the interests of TVA and TVA ratepayers than Congressman Ed Bryant," Mr. Hunter said. "The fact of the matter is the Bush administration, both Sens. Frist and Thompson and all of TVA's power providers are 100 percent in support of what Ed Bryant is trying to accomplish in this energy bill."

Duke Power officials had no immediate comment on their contribution.

Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said he doesn't see Rep. Bryant's "positioning as being necessarily anti-TVA."

Mr. Smith said that while Duke Power has been a TVA foe, he suspects Duke and other investor-owned utilities gave to Rep. Bryant because of his environmental positions that favor coal-fired power plants.

E-mail Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com