State Representative Ron Travis Monday announced two grant awards from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation totaling almost $180,000 for House District 31 to be used for clean energy projects.
The monies are a part of TDEC’s Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program. The CTEG program provides financial assistance to municipal and county governments, utility districts, and other entities created by law. Awarded projects have demonstrated a plan to reduce air emissions, improve energy efficiency, and create cost savings.
In total, 24 communities across Tennessee —including 11 distressed counties — received approximately $1.9 million in CTEG grant funding. Amounts and recipients in House District 31 include:
• $69,367 for Sequatchie County. The monies will help reduce electrical usage and costs at the Sequatchie County Justice Center, County Courthouse, and County Health Department through lighting upgrades to LEDs. Total savings for this project is estimated at $42,645 with a wattage reduction of 62 percent and a reduction of 412,022 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually.
• $110,000 for Rhea County. The funding will be used to install energy efficient roofing, insulation, and lighting at the Rhea County Courthouse/Annex. This will save an estimated $23,366 and 275,282 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually.
“I am grateful that Governor Haslam and Commissioner Martineau have awarded these funds to our communities so we can improve energy consumption, reduce costs, and boost our local environment for current and future generations of our citizens,” said Chairman Travis. “Ultimately, these grant dollars will improve the overall quality of life for our residents in Sequatchie and Rhea Counties while also saving them money.”
For more information about the CTEG program, visit
http://tn.gov/environment/article/grants-clean-tennessee-energy-grants.