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TDEC Opens Nominations for Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards Each year, the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards (GESA) recognize outstanding and voluntary achievements by individuals, businesses, organizations, educational institutions and agencies that demonstrate leadership in environmental protection and conservation. Award categories include Building Green, Clean Air, Energy and Renewable Resources, Environmental Education and Outreach, Land Use, Materials Management, Natural Heritage, Sustainable Performance, and Robert Starks Walker Lifetime Achievement.
Any individual, business, organization, educational institution or agency is eligible, provided they are located in Tennessee and projects were completed during the 2014 calendar year. All nominees must have a minimum of three consecutive years in overall environmental compliance with the Department of Environment and Conservation. Self-nominations are encouraged.
A panel of judges representing agricultural, conservation, forestry, environmental and academic professionals will select award recipients based on criteria including on-the-ground achievement, innovation, and public education.
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Chattanooga and Knoxville are among 50 U.S. Communities to Compete for Georgetown University’s Energy Prize
Last year, Georgetown University announced a $5 million, multi-year prize to challenge small and medium-sized communities in the United States to put together the most innovative plan to save energy. Through this competitive process, participating communities are challenged to develop and begin implementation of a plan that produces replicable and scalable reductions in the per capita energy consumption from local natural gas and electric utilities.
On January 20, Georgetown University announced that two communities in Tennessee, Chattanooga and Knoxville, were named as semifinalists in the two-year competition. They will compete with 48 other communities across the United States.
A judging committee will score the semifinalists on a specific set of criteria that will take into account a community’s ability to implement a plan that is innovative, scalable, and replicable. The winning community will use the prize money to spend on energy efficiency programs “that reward the community as a whole and provide for the long-term implementation of those plans.” An announcement is not expected until early 2017. More information about the Georgetown University Energy Prize is available at http://guep.org/. TEEI congratulates Chattanooga and Knoxville for advancing to the semifinal round of the Georgetown University Energy Prize.
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U.S. DOE Announces Draft EIS and Public Hearings Schedule for Proposed Biofuels Program
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy has announced the availability of the Engineered High Energy Crop (EHEC) Programs Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The Draft EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with DOE’s proposal to implement one or more programs to catalyze the development and demonstration of crops specifically engineered for increased energy production. A main component of the proposed programs would be providing financial assistance to conduct field trials to test the effectiveness of EHECs in the Southeastern United States, specifically in Alabama, Florida (excluding the Everglades/Southern Florida coastal plain ecoregion), Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
DOE has also announced one in-person public hearing and two online public hearings to receive comments on the Draft PEIS. The public hearings will be held at the following dates, times, and locations:
- February 18, 2015, from 5:00-7:00 pm EST, at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol
- February 24, 2015, from 2:00-4:00 pm EST, online.
- February 26, 2015, from 2:00-4:00 pm EST, online.
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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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TVA Launches New eScore Program for Homeowners
In partnership with its network of participating local power companies, TVA recently unveiled a new residential energy efficiency program, called eScore, which makes it easier than ever for homeowners in the TVA service territory to receive incentives for making qualifying energy efficiency improvements to their homes. eScore works in three easy steps: (1) homeowners register online and answer basic questions about their home, (2) homeowners work with a prequalified contractor to make eligible energy efficiency improvements (contractors will provide information on recommended measures and qualifying improvements and rebates), and (3) homeowners receive a free inspection, plus an energy evaluation that includes an eScore report of their home (between 1 and 10), along with a customized list of other recommended energy efficiency improvements that will help homeowners improve the eScore of their home. During the evaluation, a TVA certified energy advisor will also install energy and water saving measures, such as compact florescent light bulbs and low-flow shower heads, at no cost. eScore allows homeowners to engage in the program as many times as needed to maximize a home’s energy efficiency. This program is only offered to customers of participating local power companies.
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TVA Re-Opens Energy Right Solutions for Business and Industry Programs
On January 5 TVA reopened its EnergyRight® Solutions for Business and Industry Program application process to provide incentives for commercial and industrial customers that make recommended energy efficiency improvements to their facilities. Under these programs, two types of financial assistance—Standard and Custom Incentives—are available to help reduce the cost of implementing more energy efficient equipment and accelerating investment payback. Eligible entities include non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, industrial manufacturers, and governments. To learn more, visit www.energyright.com and select the “How to Apply” tab. There is a fixed amount of incentive dollars ($5M) for industrial projects. To be eligible, industrial projecets must be installed and operational by July 31, 2015. Applications will be handled on a first come, first served basis until funds are exhausted.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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USDA Rural Energy America Program Workshops
The United States Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Tennessee Renewable Energy Economic Development Council and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, is hosting a series of educational workshops across Tennessee to discuss the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant and loan guarantee programs. These workshops are ideal for rural small business owners, agricultural producers, lenders, rural electric cooperatives, and energy resource providers that are interested in learning more about financial assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
The workshops have been scheduled for the following dates, locations, and times:
- February 24, 2015 – Cleveland, TN – Mountain view Inn – 11:00am – 1:00pm EST.
- February 26, 2015 – Cookeville, TN – Tennessee Tech University – 11:00am – 1:00pm CST.
- March 2, 2015 – Trenton, TN – Gibson County Utility District – 6:00pm – 8:00pm CST.
RSVP here. For more information, contact Pam Crozier, State Specialist/Energy Coordinator for Tennessee, at Pamela.Crozier@tn.usda.gov or 615-783-1367.
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Tennessee Environmental Conference
Registration is open for the 14 th Annual Tennessee Environmental Conference, which is taking place March 16-18 at Meadowview Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport, Tennessee. The theme of this year’s conference is “Improving Our Health and Environment Through Smart Choices.” Topics include Environment, Industry, Health, Innovation, Energy, and Sustainability. David Golden, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary for Eastman Chemical Company has been named the keynote speaker. For more information and to register, visit http://www.tnenvironment.com.
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| Nashville to Host National Energy Codes Conference
The U.S. Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office has chosen Nashville as the site for its National Energy Codes Conference, which is taking place March 23-26, 2015. Additional details, including registration information, a preliminary agenda, the application for the Jeffrey A. Johnson Award, and more are available on the conference webpage.
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