Tennessee Code Title 65. Public Utilities and Carriers § 65-1-109

(a) The executive director shall be appointed by joint agreement among the governor, the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives for the initial term. Thereafter, the commissioners of the commission shall appoint the executive director. The term of the executive director shall be three (3) years. The executive director shall have at a minimum a bachelor's degree and either a minimum of five (5) years' experience in the regulated utility industry or a minimum of five (5) years' experience in executive-level management, with a preference toward experience in economics, law, finance, accounting or engineering. The executive director shall not be a commissioner of the commission.

(b) The commission may remove the executive director by a majority vote of the commissioners.

(c) The executive director shall have the principal responsibility of implementing the broad strategies, goals, objectives, long-range plans and policies of the commission. Among the executive director's duties, which are not limited to the following list, are:

(d) The governor shall set the compensation of the executive director for the initial term of office of the executive director, which shall not exceed the compensation established for the commissioners of the claims commission. Thereafter, the commissioners of the commission shall set the compensation of the executive director.

(e) The executive director shall submit an annual report to the general assembly comparing telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater utility rates between Tennessee and the southeastern states. For the purpose of reporting rates in the report, the Tennessee public utility commission shall make comparisons on the basis of market choices made by consumers without regard to whether the services chosen are regulated or non-regulated services.