Electrical Engineer

Stephen Craven’s creative idea helped make TVA’s connection to fiber better.

Fiber is tiny glass strands that carry information to your tv, internet and more. It’s like roads for data. Craven, an electrical engineer at TVA. He makes sure TVA’s transmission substations can communicate.

Craven is the third generation of engineers to work for TVA, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

He had planned to break the family mold and do something different. Before coming to TVA in 2013, he worked as a computer chip designer, security researcher and engineering professor.

But his career path eventually brought him to TVA, where he said his father and grandfather both enjoyed happy careers.

“I love it here at TVA,” Craven said. “That’s because I know I’m helping people, which gives me motivation to always put my best foot forward.”

A Day in the Life

Engineers are problem solvers, and that’s what Craven does. When TVA began replacing transmission systems, Craven found the new technology had some limitations. It couldn’t provide the same ability to handle fiber breaks or circuit isolation the old system had.

“I realized there was a way to do things better,” he said.

He developed a design that delivered critical messages over long transmission lines within six milliseconds while instantly flipping over to a backup path should the fiber ever break.

“The new system will be robust,” Craven said. “The Grid of Tomorrow demands that our transmission is safe, secure and resilient.”

Becoming an Engineer

Becoming an engineer requires a college degree in engineering. You’ll study math, engineering and design. You’ll develop skills in problem solving, critical thinking and reading comprehension.

TVA offers an internship program for college students. These paid opportunities can last a semester or longer. Interns work with TVA’s employees on critical projects across the region.

TVA hires many different types of engineers, including:

• Electrical engineering
• Civil engineering
• Nuclear engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Environmental engineering

Starting pay for an engineer is about $75,000 a year.