WWW.TSPMA.ORG | 21 —continued on page 22 The TVA Partnership and What It Has Produced One of the most productive relationships EESI has built over the years is with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Through TVA’s EnergyRight School Uplift Program (SUP), 327 Tennessee schools have engaged in behavior-based energy management strategies, which educate for change in how staff and students think about energy use, not just how the equipment operates. All participating schools receive at least a $10,000 learning environment grant from TVA for their participation in the program and have achieved an average 9.6% annual reduction in energy usage. In addition to their participation, twelve Tennessee schools have received a combined $4,890,000 in matching grants (EESI provided $2,490,000 in matching funds) to complete energy upgrades in their school building. In addition to the SUP, EESI works closely with TVA’s EnergyRight team to ensure that every school project funded through the EESI loan and grant programs receives all eligible incentives. This coordination helps districts capture the full value available to them, strengthens project economics, and ensures that EESI funded projects are leveraged as effectively as possible. Total TVA incentive contributions through EESI loan and grant programs now stand at $6,177,489. That is public‑power investment flowing directly into Tennessee school facilities, and it has made projects possible that would not have penciled out otherwise. What Happened When Federal Funds Arrived When Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding became available, some states scrambled to figure out how to deploy it responsibly and quickly. Tennessee was in a different position. Because EESI had spent years building a project review infrastructure, including a five-member Technical Advisory Committee of licensed engineers, architects, and energy specialists, supported by TVA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, we already had a pipeline of pre-vetted, shovel-ready school Peter Philips Founder/CEO (206) 779-2746 Peter@ColibriNW.com Katie Higgins Sales Director (206) 914-4248 Katie@ColibriNW.com We are delighted to have been chosen by TSPMA as the new publishing partner to launch TSPMA Magazine. Colibri Northwest has been publishing magazines for association and municipal clients for more than 40 years. We look forward to working with TSPMA to help better connect members and vendor members through TSPMA Magazine. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions about our company, comments about the magazine, or simply to introduce yourself. PO Box 267 • Milton, WA 98354 www.ColibriNW.com We look forward to working with you!
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