UC communities among grant recipients
By Amye Anderson
UCBJ Managing Editor
UPPER CUMBERLAND – Two UC counties are among two dozen communities – including 11 distressed counties – awarded nearly $2 million for clean energy projects.
“Clean Tennessee Energy Grants help our communities reduce costs, increase savings, waste less energy and promote clean air,” said Gov. Bill Haslam. “I appreciate the efforts of these grant recipients whose work will continue to make Tennessee a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
The CTEG program provides financial assistance to entities for projects that have demonstrated a plan to reduce air emissions, improve energy efficiency and create cost savings. Projects specifically focus on cleaner alternative energy.
Those UC communities that received grant funds include:
- DeKalb County was awarded $18,928 to retrofit lighting fixtures in the county courthouse and the county jail to LEDs, creating an annual estimated savings of $5,955 and $5,319 respectively.
- Macon County was awarded $64,835 to improve efficiency of the county courthouse, criminal justice center, Sally Wells fairground building, and the EMS building in Lafayette. Replacing the lighting in these facilities with LED fixtures resulting in an estimated annual savings of $42,715.
- The city of Lafayette was awarded $10,208.50 to upgrade the performance and efficiency of the city’s police station by retrofitting lighting fixtures with LEDs; an estimated annual savings of $8,138.
Funding preference was given to distressed counties identified by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and those that have not previously received CTEG funding. Twenty of the grantees are first-time CTEG funding recipients. Awarded projects must have a simple payback of less than 10 years.
Funding comes from a 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Tennessee received $26.4 million to fund clean air programs in the state.
