EPB Honored As #1 Power Company In Tennessee Valley

  • Friday, July 22, 2022
  • Gail Perry
Vicki Gregg, David Wade and Cindy Herron
Vicki Gregg, David Wade and Cindy Herron
photo by Gail Perry

EPB was recognized for the distinction of being the number one local power company in the Tennessee Valley for overall energy efficiency programs in 2021. Cindy Herron, the Vice President of TVA EnergyRight, presented the award to EPB President and CEO David Wade at the July board meeting on Friday.

 

EPB was named a top performer in 12 categories when it comes to helping residential and business customers save money and energy through the TVA EnergyRight program.

For both industrial and residential customers, the programs aim at maximizing efficiencies, using new technologies, controlling power usage, reducing costs and helping the environment. The utility provides guidance and evaluation tools for customers such as having access to a DIY energy assessment on line and the Home Uplift program to increase energy efficiency and lowering energy bills for families with limited means.

 

Ms. Herron thanked EPB and David Wade for being partners with TVA in these endeavors and said it would not be possible without a leader with a heart for service and the employees to carry out the plans.

 

Fiber Optics, and in particular the Internet, has been beneficial to EPB not only in the way of money, but also for helping the community, noted Board Chair Vicki Gregg. The community has, and will continue to benefit from a program first created because of the COVID pandemic. When children could not attend school, Dr. Bryan Johnson and Mr. Wade wanted to find a way to serve at least 5,000 students with a critical need, to have access to the internet. While the program was being developed, the goal changed to serving every K-12 student in need, at no charge. Today, there are more than 16,000 students connected to the internet through Hamilton County Schools EdConnect. Including the families of those students, it represents more than 26,000 people with internet access in the Chattanooga area. A study recently found that households participating in the EdConnect program, also have more engagement with their child’s school.

 

Also discussed at the board meeting, was EPBs role in the network of electric vehicle charging stations. There are 14 chargers in the EPB garage on Market Street that are free to use but that require the vehicle to pay for parking. Mr. Wade said when they were first installed, he mainly saw EPB vehicles and maybe one other car being charged, but the use is increasing. He said that recently more cars and different models are using the chargers. And some people are paying for monthly parking so they will have a place to charge their cars.

 

With the increased use of EVs there is an attempt to have fast chargers spaced 50 miles apart near the Interstate system. The state of Tennessee is paying EPB to install a fast charger on Market Street which is in close proximity to I-24. The fast chargers are capable of charging a car to 80 percent in 10 to 15 minutes. Those chargers that are outside of the parking garage will be pay-to-charge stations.

 

On Friday, Mr. Wade also mentioned that costs from TVA will be going up again in August and it will impact customers. The base rate will not increase but there will be a fuel cost adjustment due to the increase in the cost of natural gas. He said that TVA is in a relatively good position because its generation of power is from diversified sources including not only natural gas but also hydro and nuclear. That diversification will help EPB compared to many other places, however the increase in cost will impact individuals, he said.

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