Regional Commissions and Authorities

Four federally established regional commissions and authorities dedicated to improving the economic opportunities within specific geographic regions are included in the Administration’s FY 2008 budget request. No funding is requested for the Northern Great Plains Regional Authority, which was created in the 2002 Farm Bill.



The Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority and Denali Commission are dependent on annual appropriations. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the oldest and largest of the five authorities, generates its budget primarily through power generation revenues. TVA still requires the government to approve or set its annual spending level.

• Appalachian Regional Commission - $65 million to assist the 13-state, 410-county Appalachian Region in achieving socioeconomic parity with the nation. The commission has increasingly focused its community investments toward TBED priorities. In 2008, for example, ARC will continue a challenge grant program to award communities that develop innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to economic development, or that implement regional or multi-jurisdictional strategies.
• Delta Regional Authority - $6 million to assist an eight-state, 240-county region around the Mississippi Delta in obtaining transportation and basic public infrastructure, skill training, and opportunities for economic development.
• Denali Commission - $1.8 million to provide infrastructure development, job training and other economic development services in rural Alaska. The commission received more than $120 million in FY06.
• Tennessee Valley Authority - $8.9 billion to assist the TVA, a government-owned corporation established in 1933 for the unified development of a river basin comprised of parts of seven states. The agency finances its program primarily from proceeds available from current power operations and borrowings against future power revenues. TVA operates a series of 49 dams and 47 reservoirs to reduce the risk of flooding, enable year-round navigation, supply affordable and reliable electricity, improve water quality and supply, provide recreational opportunities, and stimulate economic growth. An additional $553 million would be applied toward TVA’s outstanding debt balance.