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TVA recently released its final 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a comprehensive study that provides direction on how TVA can best deliver clean, reliable, and affordable energy in the Valley over the next 20 years. As part of the study, TVA also prepared a programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the natural, cultural, and socioeconomic impacts associated with the IRP.
As stated in the IRP Executive Summary, TVA considered a wide range of future energy scenarios, various business strategies, and a diverse mix of power-generation resources to build on TVA’s existing asset portfolio. TVA’s IRP study results show the following:
- There is a need for new power generation capacity in all future energy scenarios, to replace expiring or retiring capacity.
- Solar power generation expansion plays a substantial role in all future energy scenarios.
- Natural gas, energy storage, and demand response additions will provide reliability and/or flexibility to the electric grid.
- No baseload resources (i.e., generation facilities designed to operate around the clock) need to be added in the examined future energy scenarios, which highlights the need for operational flexibility in the resource portfolio.
- Additional coal retirements occur in some future energy scenarios.
- The impact of energy efficiency programs will depend on the technology’s market depth and cost-competitiveness.
- Wind power generation could be adopted in the Tennessee Valley, if it becomes cost-competitive.
TVA states that all future energy scenarios identified by the 2019 IRP will provide for a power system that is low-cost, reliable, and clean. Learn more about the IRP and EIS at www.TVA.com/IRP.
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| TDEC OEP Promotes K-12 Energy Education in Tennessee
TDEC OEP has a long history of supporting K-12 energy education through professional development and student learning opportunities. These offerings link the broad topic of energy to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects and provide educators with the knowledge and resources necessary to teach energy concepts. Below are a few examples of OEP’s energy education activities throughout the month of July. Learn more about OEP’s K-12 Energy Education programming here.
Workshops
OEP hosted Energy Education Workshops at both the Overlook Ridge and Margaret Robertson Apartment Complexes as part of the Summer Feeding and Environmental Education Program, supported by the TDEC Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices, local community organizations, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program. The program provides fun, environmentally-themed activities and lunch one day a week to youth who may not otherwise have the opportunity to receive a nourishing meal. Participants are also provided the opportunity to learn about topics like energy, sustainability, geology, and recycling. As part of the workshops, OEP provided 75 children with free energy education activities and take-home materials, including solar-powered toy cars, solar bracelets, and energy-related activity books.
Energy Camp for K-12 Educators
OEP recently conducted its third and final 2019 Energy Education Camp for K-12 Educators at Natchez Trace State Park. The Camps are comprised of three-day training sessions and provide energy-related lesson plans and resources designed for use in the K-12 classroom. These lessons promote energy literacy as it relates to STEM subjects and introduce educators to topics including, but not limited to, electricity generation, consumption, and measurement; renewable energy; and energy efficiency and conservation. Energy Education Camps are offered free of charge. In all, the 120 educators who attended the 2019 Energy Camps have the potential to educate more than 20,000 Tennessee students on energy-related topics in classrooms across the state.
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| TDEC Launches Tennessee Sustainable Spirits Program
TDEC recently launched the Tennessee Sustainable Spirits program, a voluntary recognition and technical assistance program that seeks to reduce operational costs associated with energy and natural resource use by wineries and wine growers, breweries, and distilleries. The program will also serve as a gateway to sustainable spirits education through cooperation with popular brands. Current Sustainable Spirits members include Jackalope Brewing Co. in Nashville, Keg Springs Winery in Hampshire, Life is Brewing – Mantra in Franklin, and Short Mountain Distillery in Woodbury. Read TDEC’s press release here, or watch the video below from Nashville’s News Channel 5 for more information.
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| Chattanooga Recognized by U.S. DOE as Energy Efficiency Leader
As a U.S. DOE Better Buildings Challenge partner, the City of Chattanooga has improved its cumulative municipal buildings’ energy performance by 30% from a 2013 baseline, far exceeding its goal of a 20% improvement by 2025 (based on a commitment of 2 million square feet of its municipal building portfolio). The city’s improved energy performance was achieved through a variety of building energy policies and upgrades, including building retro-commissioning, the adoption of ENERGY STAR appliances and utilities, participation in the local power company’s demand response program, an upgrade to LEDs, and more. In a recent report by U.S. DOE on its Better Buildings Challenge, Chattanooga ranked among the best 25 Challenge participants in achieving the greatest reduction in energy use intensity. Click here to learn more about Chattanooga’s energy savings activities.
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| Renewable Energy Company Enexor Announces Expansion in Franklin
Renewable energy company Enexor BioEnergy recently announced that it will expand its operations in Franklin with a roughly $5 million investment that could result in the creation of up to 50 jobs over the next two years. “Franklin is the perfect place for us to continue recruiting great people and manufacturing our clean energy product,” Enexor Founder and CEO Lee Jestings said. “Enexor is thinking globally, which is another reason why the state of Tennessee is the prime location to grow in.”
Enexor has developed a small-scale, renewable energy system that converts organic and biomass waste into electricity as well as hot and chilled water. According to Enexor, this combined heating and power system has broad applications for commercial, industrial, and institutional use. The company plans to begin manufacturing the system later this year. Read more about the Enexor investment here.
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| Nth Cycle Receives Funding to Study Li-ion Battery Recycling
Innovation Crossroads is an Oak Ridge National Laboratory program that matches aspiring energy entrepreneurs with experts and mentors in technology-related fields. Former Innovation Crossroads participant Nth Cycle was recently awarded a phase I Small Business Innovative Research grant from the National Science Foundation for their project titled, “Electrochemical Separation Device for Co-Ni Recovery from Lithium-ion (Li-ion) Batteries.” The company plans to provide a recycling technology for the li-ion battery market, helping to solve the supply crisis for cobalt in the electronics and clean energy sector. Click here to read more.
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| U.S. DOE Announces Funding for Tennessee Energy Projects
U.S. DOE recently announced funding for the following energy projects in Tennessee:
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| Round 2 of the Solar Energy Innovation Network
The Solar Energy Innovation Network program is seeking applications for collaborative research projects that address challenges related to solar adoption in rural communities, at multifamily housing complexes, and at commercial buildings. Teams are encouraged to include State and local governments, utilities, industry, regulators, nonprofits, and academic institutions and may address topics in the following areas:
- Solar in Rural Communities – Analysis and testing to help cooperative utilities, counties, and other rural community stakeholders understand the potential for solar energy to improve energy affordability and resilience.
- Commercial-Scale Solar – Research and analysis to address market barriers and reduce the costs of solar energy for multifamily housing, community solar projects, and commercial buildings (e.g., offices, warehouses, hospitals, retail stores, college campuses, etc.).
Research projects may address solar power generation combined with other technologies, such as battery storage or microgrids. The selected project teams will work to address barriers to solar adoption through in-person meetings and targeted research and analysis over 15 months. These teams will be grouped based on common solar market challenges so that they can exchange ideas and address similar solar adoption issues. Teams will receive funding and access to technical expertise from U.S. DOE’s National Laboratories and other experts.
The program, managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is in its second round and will accept applications through September 4, 2019. Click here to learn more and apply.
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| U.S. DOE Announces $2M for Geothermal Research
As part of its new membership with GEOTHERMICA (a transnational consortium that combines financial resources and research expertise to demonstrate and validate novel concepts in geothermal energy use), U.S. DOE announced that it will contribute up to $2 million in funding to advance geothermal research and development. Collectively, participating nations (the United States, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Germany, France, Turkey, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Italy, and Slovenia) will work to optimize geothermal direct-use and power generation, including development of innovative, integrated, and combined systems. GEOTHERMICA encourages consortia with a wide geographic spectrum to apply, requiring that eligible consortia represent at least three participating countries. Consortia may consist of applicants and partners from companies, research organizations, universities and higher education institutions, industry organizations, local/regional governments, and non-government organizations. GEOTHERMICA focuses on three technological themes, which cover all stages in the development cycle of a secure, sustainable, competitive, and affordable geothermal installation:
- Identification and assessment of geothermal resources suitable for direct use and power generation;
- Geothermal resource development (drilling, completion, materials, and equipment); and
- Supply and smart integration into energy systems and operations.
Pre-proposals must be submitted by 13:00 UTC on September 13. Full proposals will be accepted until 13:00 UTC on Friday, January 31, 2020. Click here to learn more about the funding opportunity. Apply at http://www.geothermica.eu/.
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| Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded grant program that aims to assist low-income households, primarily those that pay a high proportion of household income on home energy, in meeting their immediate energy needs. In Tennessee, LIHEAP is administered through a network of 19 local agencies that reach all 95 counties.
Applicants must come from eligible households with income at or below 150% of U.S. Poverty Guidelines. Applications, along with all necessary verifications, must be submitted through the designated LIHEAP agency in the applicant's county of residence. LIHEAP offers one-time assistance to help defray heating and cooling expenses, as long as funding is available. LIHEAP assistance does not go directly to the client or applicant; rather, direct payments are made through the LIHEAP agency to the local power company or energy supplier.
For more information or to receive assistance with the application process, please contact your local LIHEAP agency. Click here for a list of agencies and counties they serve. Click here to learn more about LIHEAP in Tennessee. Applications for LIHEAP 2019 are due by September 30.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| Urban Runoff 5K Celebrates Green Stormwater Management
Nashville’s Metro Water Services, TDEC, and the Tennessee Stormwater Association have teamed up to host the Urban Runoff 5k run in Nashville on August 3. The run is being held in Shelby Bottoms Greenway and will weave its way past several innovative stormwater management structures. The race will be chip-timed and held in rain or shine. To volunteer for the run, click here. For additional details or to register, click here. Registration for the race will cost $30.
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| Webinar: Employing Energy Efficiency to Address Health and Climate Change
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) launched a new webinar series to explore intersections of health, environment, and energy and to share best practices for energy efficiency program design and policy implementation. The second webinar in the series, “Employing Energy Efficiency to Protect Health and Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change,” is scheduled to occur on August 6 at 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET. Presenters from ACEEE, George Mason University, and the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will discuss how energy efficiency policies can help protect public health by reducing greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants. Click here to register for the webinar.
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| TAEBC “Ask Me Anything” with White Harvest Energy Founder & President
Earlier this year, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) announced a new, three-part meeting series that will give attendees the opportunity to “ask anything” from some of the most well-known energy CEOs in the state. TAEBC recently announced that its next “Ask Me Anything” event will feature the Founder and President of White Harvest Energy, Ben Edgar, on August 13 from 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM ET at the Edney Innovation Center in Chattanooga. Recently, Edgar’s company worked with Erlanger and TVA to implement an 8MW combined heat and power system at the Chattanooga hospital. Click here to learn more and to register for the session.
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| Renewable Natural Gas Workshop and Trade Expo in Nashville
RNG WORKS is a two-day technical workshop and trade expo hosted by the RNG Coalition for the North American Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) industry that will be held in Nashville from September 11-12. The event is designed to educate feedstock owners (landfill, wastewater, livestock, agriculture, food processing, etc.); RNG project developers, operators, financiers, and engineers; and RNG end-users (fleets, municipalities, utilities, etc.) about RNG best practices and resources for increased development, deployment, and utilization of RNG across the region. Click here to register for RNG WORKS. Learn more at http://www.rngcoalition.com/rng-works/.
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The creators of the BEST PRACTICES magazines will host a three-day conference and expo in Nashville on October 13-16 to provide industry professionals with information on compressed air, vacuum, blower, and cooling technologies. The conference is designed to educate and provide tools to the people who make industrial utility projects happen at a factory, including general managers, production mangers, energy managers, plant engineers, maintenance supervisors, and other factory personnel. Speakers from General Mills, Ball Packaging, Toyota, Nissan, Eastman, and other companies will educate attendees on how to reduce electricity and water consumption in their factory processes. Click here to register. Learn more about the conference and expo at https://cabpexpo.com/.
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| Register for the Tennessee Valley Solar Conference
The Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA) will host the Tennessee Valley Solar Conference on October 16 at the Embassy Suites in Franklin. The purpose of the conference is to bring together solar advocates and adopters to discuss strategies, market trends, and policies that impact the Tennessee Valley solar industry. This includes topics like TVA's utlity-scale solar RFPs, solar opportunities under new programs like the Renewable Investment Agreement pilots, and latest efforts on program design for the residential solar market. TenneSEIA members may receive a conference registration discount. Click here to learn more about conference registration fees. Visit https://tenneseiasolar.com/conference/ to learn more.
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| Webinar and Guide: Energy-Plus-Health Playbook
The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, in collaboration with E4TheFuture, will host a webinar on Sep 9 at 02:30 PM ET to discuss the newly released Energy-Plus-Health Playbook and present associated case studies that demonstrate how to integrate health into energy efficiency program design. The webinar will be moderated by Ellen Tohn of Tohn Environmental Strategies and will include speakers from energy and health programs referenced in the Playbook. Click here to register for the webinar, and click here to read through the Playbook.
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| 2019 EE Day and Energy Efficiency Tips for Summer
Each year, organizations and citizens across the country endorse energy efficiency’s benefits and participate in online energy efficiency challenges and promotions in celebration of Energy Efficiency Day (EE Day). Cities, counties, and states issued official proclamations to recognize EE Day last year, as did the U.S. Senate. EE Day 2019 (#EEDay2019) will return on October 2, and event organizers have already updated the EE Day website with new energy efficiency campaigns and materials.
EE Day organizers have recently put out a list of easy energy efficiency tips guaranteed to make summer cooler, more comfortable, and less expensive around the house. Activities include performing basic home maintenance (e.g., changing old incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR LED bulbs); making small habit changes (e.g., putting off heat-producing chores like laundry or running the dishwasher to cooler hours, like morning or night); or investing in energy efficient technologies (e.g., installing a programmable or smart thermostat that will run the air conditioner only when people are home). Click here to check out the full list of tips.
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