The Next Bright Idea

How Curiosity, Process and Partnership Drive TVA Forward

Amy Henry’s introduction to TVA was anything but ordinary. She’s now the Director of Innovation & Research, but her career began in an unexpected place — in bat caves and waterways. 

While studying biology and wildlife science at Auburn University, Henry first encountered TVA through a research project funded by the agency. Since joining TVA 17 years ago, her work has touched all three Es — energy, environment and economic development — each of which are dynamic. They’re always evolving, bringing with them both ideas that ignite and invite progress. 

In many ways, that’s the essence of innovation — the space where Henry now works every day. She and her team evaluate emerging technologies for TVA’s future system needs, including energy storage, advanced manufacturing, grid and hydro modernization, and load flexibility. They collaborate with teams across the company to figure out how to adopt new technology,

“I never have the same day twice, and I like that,” she said. “We are always looking at new capabilities TVA needs to build to keep performing in the future. Innovation is a strategic imperative.” 

Innovation at TVA thrives on problem‑solving, curiosity and partner connection. And most of all, it grows by reframing every lesson as progress toward the next bright idea. With a team energized by exploring new technologies and possibilities, they center their work on proving the value of new approaches and determining how each one can strengthen TVA’s capabilities for the future. 

Recently, the Innovation & Research team has been putting that mindset into action. They’ve helped TVA teams incorporate tools like drones, advanced conductors, protocols for battery storage systems and even an advanced robotic welding machine. And their exploration doesn’t stop there. They’re pushing into a wide spectrum of emerging solutions, from creating products out of coal combustion residuals to developing flexible transformers, 3‑D printed filters for fossil plants, and investigating front‑edge fields such as fusion energy and quantum technology. 

On one particular day, members from Henry’s team mapped out the lifecycle of battery storage, looking for ways to optimize how materials are handled so they don’t degrade before being used. 

Tape stretched across a wall, forming swim lanes. Clusters of sticky notes outlined each step in the process, and teammates marked pain points along the way with colorful sticker dots. They weren’t assigning blame — just revealing where the process itself faltered. 

With every note added and every dot placed, the wall became a living blueprint. Patterns emerged. Unspoken assumptions surfaced. And the team, gathered from different corners of the business, worked together to reshape the workflow so future projects would move faster, cleaner and with fewer surprises. 

It was innovation in its most accessible form: people standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder, examining the work with honesty, and choosing collaboration over frustration. The session echoed a truth Henry often emphasizes — that progress isn’t just about technology. It’s about the humans who gather around a wall filled with paper and possibility, willing to rethink how things are done. 

“We really want to focus on collaboration,” Henry emphasized. “Reaching out and engaging with the business to understand their gaps and determine how research and process improvement can help close them. I love working with this team because they’re a collection of smart, capable problem solvers who know how to find the right resources, and grit is the word that comes to mind: resilient, able to navigate uncertainties, pivot when needed and ultimately achieve meaningful results.”  

Amy’s TVA tenure has included environmental impact assessments, public engagement, and eventually leading stakeholder relations and public engagement for the 2019 IRP. 

“I realized that most people who come to public meetings only know a slice of what TVA does,” Henry said. “Being able to share the big picture, our three Es, has been so rewarding over the years.” 

TVA's breadth of service enriches the lives of Valley residents, who may or may not know the depth of its history. It did the same for Amy Henry. A rural university project years ago shaped one student's path. Now that person leads innovation that may spark the next.