24 minute read
Powerful Partnerships
Building the Future... with Partners
We are stronger together. At TVA, partnerships are everything — with local power companies, directly served customers, industry partners, governments, communities and schools. We are in this together, creating a culture of caring for the Tennessee Valley and beyond.
In Mayfi eld’s darkest hour, TVA responds with warmth and light to neighbors’ plight
During the late evening of Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, a violent tornado raged across western Kentucky.
Communities including Bowling Green and Pembroke felt the storm’s wrath, yet it was the city of Mayfi eld where the EF4 tornado produced the most catastrophic damage.
The next morning’s dawn light showed the massive scale of destruction — lives lost, homes fl attened and a historic downtown buried beneath bricks and other debris.
TVA responded immediately to provide support and resources to more than 250,000 residents in western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee who lost a great deal more than power.
“Even as we were working with local power companies to restore damaged structures and lines to return power, these storms were continuing to devastate towns, families and businesses,” said TVA President and CEO Jeff Lyash. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones and suffered loss of homes and buildings, and those who lost their entire community.”
“TVA offered support for meals, for lodging, for lineworkers, moral support — they gave me hope that we were going to get throught this,” said Marty Ivy, General Superintendent, Mayfi eld Electric and Water Systems. “We felt like someone cared.”
In the aftermath, TVA fi eld tech Scott Stockton delivered food to responders, stopping in cornfi elds where groups of linemen huddled in the near darkness, grateful for the hot meal — fuel to keep them going as they worked 24/7 to restore power to their neighbors.
“It looked like a bomb had gone off,” Stockton said. “The linemen and responders are warriors that helped provide warmth and light to all those left in the dark.”
Passing through the most affected areas, Stockton found a bewildered man wandering outside a destroyed pharmacy in the dark with nothing but a plastic bag full of clothes. His home demolished, the man had nowhere to go until Stockton gave him a ride and some food.
“He didn’t have anyone, but he had us — he had TVA,” Stockton said.
TVA’s initial restoration began Friday night when the fi rst lines went out of service. Engineers, operations, administrative staff and supply chain team members all began supporting crews heading into the fi eld as part of the rapid response efforts.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power system, partnering with 153 local power companies to supply electricity to approximately 10 million people across seven Southeastern states and 58 directly served customers, including 51 industrial customers and seven military and federal installations.
TVA team members supported crews heading into the field as part of rapid response efforts.
— Marty Ivy, General Superintendent, Mayfi eld Electric and Water Systems
Dawn light showed the massive scale of destruction after an EF4 tornado hit Mayfield, Kentucky, late on Dec. 10, 2021.
“The devastation in Mayfi eld was unbelievable,” said TVA customer relations manager Brent Powell. “But the response was amazing. People from all over the country poured into western Kentucky to provide supplies, food, toys and volunteer hours. TVA employees stepped up by purchasing items on the Amazon wish list, which continued to support the community through the next few months.”
While the TVA power system remained stable, it suffered heavy damage, as did multiple local power company (LPC) systems and facilities. TVA crews arrived that night to work on the top priorities of repairing electric system damage, delivering emergency relief supplies and providing portable trailers to LPCs with damaged buildings.
“TVA’s system lost 100 power structures, 31 transmission lines and 21 customer connection points,” said Doug Bailey, vice president of Transmission Field Operations. “TVA crews worked 24/7 to completely restore the power system in about 136 hours — an impressive feat.”
TVA dedicated 21 of its own line crews, two additional contractor crews and three TVA helicopters to the effort.
“Our folks know our system and know how to get things done because they’re working inside it every day,” Bailey said. “That’s why our own construction workforce is our single greatest asset.”
TVA’s Mayfi eld customer service center became temporary housing for linemen and emergency personnel. Lining its walls were community donations of pallets of water and food, piles of blue tarps and a collection of hammers and nails to protect people’s homes.
— Justin Maierhofer, TVA vice president, north region
TVA also provided generators and electronics to improve cellular and internet capability as well as shower and restroom facilities.
In the weeks and months that followed,
TVA’s north region community relations team members continued to address the needs of families through Emergency Management donation sites and Family Resource & Youth Service centers.
“Our team was able to act quickly, not only to repair damaged transmission lines, but also to get boots on the ground connecting with customers, local offi cials and the community. We were able to get real-time feedback on what was needed where and when, so TVA’s resources were put right where they were needed,” said vice president of the north region, Justin Maierhofer.
Some of TVA’s actions:
• Donated an initial $100,000 to relief efforts. • Supplied food and support to the Mayfi eld
Electric team as they continued their rescue and recovery efforts. • Coordinated with local offi cials to deliver 7,000 bottles of water to Mayfi eld due to the destruction of their city water system. • Donated 10,000 surgical masks, 1,000 tarps with hammers and nails, cots and blankets, and personal care items. • Delivered portable transformers to speed the restoration of damaged substations. • Supplied portable trailers to impacted local power companies to assist with recovery efforts. • Opened TVA’s Mayfi eld service center for use as a central location for repair supplies and restoration support. • Routed additional power system repair supplies and components to the impacted area. • Relocated TVA line crews to the area and brought in contract crews to support. • TVA vegetation maintenance personnel cleared trees and other debris to support transmission line repair. • TVA Police assisted local law enforcement with traffi c control.
“I can’t thank my brothers and sisters at TVA enough for their contribution to my community in its time of need,” Powell said.
“We’re in this for the long haul,” Maierhofer said. “We are part of these impacted communities, and we are going to be here to support for however long it takes to get our neighbors back on their feet.”
TVA provided three helicopters to assist in power restoration. Crews worked night and day to get the power system back up and running in 136 hours.
TVA immediately responded with support and resources to impacted residents in western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee.
When ice storms cut power to the Memphis area, TVA responded
When wintry storms swept through parts of TVA’s west region in February of 2022, nearly one-third of the Memphis-area population, or 240,000 residents, found themselves without power.
“I call it a tragedy when people don’t have power. They have no way to keep warm, cook food or have a hot meal,” said the Rev. James Delaney, pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in the Orange Mound community. “Not only did TVA provide food, but it was cooked, too.”
In addition to donating 5,000 meals, TVA offered 700 snack bags to Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s front-line team as they worked to restore power. Other community support included establishing two warming centers and providing essential items such as sleeping bags, blankets, toiletries, disposable masks and hand sanitizer at locations throughout the city.
In the Westwood area, TVA stationed a food truck at Mount Vernon Church for families braving the cold. The Rev. Melvin Watkins is pastor there.
“As citizens who are tied together through the bond of community, it is important for us to be there for one another and demonstrate our commitment to stand alongside one another, especially during challenging times like power outages,” Watkins commented. “This is why I commend TVA for demonstrating what it means to be a community and to care for those who needed their help.”
Gabe Franceschi, director of Government and Community Relations, coordinated TVA’s storm response, along with other west region leaders. He called the team’s efforts “service in action.”
“The heart of TVA’s mission is service,” Franceschi said. “I appreciate the team for their hard work, long hours and dedication. Together, we worked with local elected offi cials, non-profi t agencies and community leaders to identify where the need was greatest and provided support to those who were hardest hit.”
Delaney said the effects of such giving go a long way.
“It was an excellent thing that happened,” he said. “When people have a need, it’s great to say that you’ll pray for them, but it’s even better when you come to their aid. So, that moves it from excellent to superb.”
TVA provided meals to Memphis Light, Gas and Water teams as they worked to restore power. We also established warming centers and distributed essentials throughout Memphis.
— Reverend Melvin Watkins, Pastor of Mount Vernon Church in Memphis, Tennessee
Children breathe easier thanks to School Uplift
After their school received a grant from TVA’s EnergyRight® School Uplift program, students in the Pickett County K8 school in Byrdstown, Tennessee, are breathing easier. Literally.
Pickett County K8 used School Uplift funds to improve ventilation in classrooms and hallways as well as install LED lighting throughout the school. Prior to the improvements, none of the school’s air fi ltration systems worked properly.
Eighth-grader Johnny Jenkins recalls how his allergies would fl are up.
“It was awful, and I was tired all the time,” he said. “It’s hard to do your work and pay attention.”
Jenkins said his sinus infections are practically gone, thanks to the new HVAC and fi ltration systems. “I’ve noticed a big difference. I’ve been able to breathe easier.”
Now in its third year, School Uplift is a free initiative that helps public schools cut energy waste and engage students, faculty and staff in behavioral changes that help save energy. The grants range from $10,000 to $200,000, and TVA invests, on average, $3.2 million in the program each year.
School Uplift is expected to help up to 100 schools each year improve their facilities and reduce energy usage by as much as 10%, which could save each school an average of $8,000 per year. The program is expected to result in $5.8 million in lifetime energy cost savings for the 100 schools that participate each year.
“Helping schools save money on their power bills ensures resources are allocated where it matters most — educating our children,” said Cindy Herron, vice president of TVA Energy Services & Programs.
In partnership with Volunteer Energy Co-Op, TVA’s EnergyRight® School Uplift program provided funds that enabled Pickett County K8 school to improve ventilation and install LED lighting.
—Cindy Herron, TVA vice president, Energy & Services Program
The ABCs of School Uplift
Active energy management training
Participating public schools receive behavior-based strategic energy management (SEM) training. Promote engagement from faculty and students with easy, actionable energy-saving tips and energy-effi ciency practices.
Building stronger communities
Together, we can do even more. School Uplift energizes students, families, teachers, business owners and statewide leaders, uniting them with a common cause: improving local schools and the communities they serve.
Competitive and need-based grants
Participating public schools compete among their annual cohort to become eligible for grants for much-needed energy upgrades to improve the learning environment.
About 106,000 students across the region enjoyed hands-on science, technology, engineering and math activities through $1 million in STEM grants awarded in FY 2022.
Energizing classrooms
STEM education and grants ignite innovation in the next generation
Molly Turner, a teacher at Auburn School (K-8) in Auburn, Kentucky, has no trouble sparking imagination in her students these days.
She is among 233 recipients of a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) grant. She used it to purchase two 3D printers.
She said her young students are learning about how exciting engineering can be while also strengthening their problem-solving skills.
“My students have always been excited to come to my STEM class, but now that excitement is through the roof,” she said.
TVA partners with schools to fund STEM education grants and robotics competitions.
In FY 2022, TVA partnered with BVI, a nonprofi t TVA retiree organization, to provide $1 million in STEM grants. The STEM program, operated in partnership with the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network managed by Battelle, enabled 106,000 students to participate in STEM activities. “TVA is committed to supporting STEM education to help develop today’s students into tomorrow’s engineers, scientists and IT professionals,” said Jeannette Mills, TVA Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Offi cer. “It’s inspiring to be able to contribute to the innovators of the next generation.”
Grants have been awarded to schools in both urban and rural areas to meet the diverse needs of local communities.
Robotics programs also provide outlets for young inventors to stretch their STEM smarts. Although many robotics competitions were suspended during the pandemic, they are expected to be in full swing in the 2022-23 school year.
TVA supports equipment and registration costs for robotics teams. More than 500 teams, covering all seven states in our region, have benefi ted from funds allocated in FY 2022. TVA anticipates an even greater impact in FY 2023.
“STEM education is so important to developing a well-qualifi ed workforce and, ultimately, to supporting economic development in the Valley,” said Bert Robinson, director of Government and Community Relations. “These are our future scientists, engineers and technicians — and it’s a privilege for TVA to play a part in helping them get started.”
— Jeannette Mills, Executive Vice President and Chief External Relations Offi cer
TVA works with partners to create a more sustainable future
When it comes to building a sustainable future, no one can do it alone.
At TVA, we’re working with partners to learn what sustainability means to them, then collaborating to create cleaner, more environmentally friendly ways of doing business and living in this world. They bring incredible solutions to the table.
Take, for example, BrightRidge, a local power company operating in the Northeast Tennessee region. BrightRidge is a leader in carbon reduction and innovation, having developed two solar farms, a community solar program and a nascent electric vehicle charging network. It also partnered with TVA and the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation to bring the fi rst electric school bus in Tennessee to the Washington County School System.
BrightRidge wanted to connect with its customers to learn about their needs and sustainability goals, and it worked with TVA to create a sustainability workshop.
At the fi rst workshop in September 2022, BrightRidge customers — representatives from hospitals, education institutions, municipalities, commercial businesses and others — gathered to discuss green jobs, carbon reduction possibilities and economic development. TVA staff members presented information on our programs, services and support opportunities.
Jeff Dykes, Chief Operating Offi cer of BrightRidge, said customers and communities share information about what they need from BrightRidge, and then the local power company partners with TVA on possible solutions.
“TVA uses our feedback to develop programs and resources that we can take back to our customers and communities, with the collective goal of becoming better stewards of the resources we have,” he said.
TVA seeks feedback from our stakeholders as well.
In FY 2022, we hired a third-party company to conduct interviews with companies and organizations in our seven-state region to learn more about their sustainability priorities and ways we can work together on new opportunities.
“Partnerships and engagement are vital to moving forward,” said Rebecca Tolene, Vice President, Environment and TVA’s Chief Sustainability Offi cer. “We listen as stakeholders identify their sustainability priorities, and we discuss ways TVA can help create positive change. We are building the future together.”
TVA works with partners across the Valley to enable electrified transportation.
Initiative shines a light on small businesses and propels growth
Between its vibrant programming and classic Art Deco interior, the circa 1928 Ritz Theatre has a big following in the small town of Sheffi eld, Alabama.
Today, the theater’s future shines brighter, thanks to TVA’s EnergyRight® Community Centered Growth initiative. Community Centered Growth partners with local power companies in economically distressed areas to provide energy effi ciency upgrades to community-based small businesses.
The goal is twofold: invigorate small businesses and empower sustainable growth in communities that need it most.
Upgrades at the Ritz included new LED lighting, a new HVAC unit, a large energy-effi cient fan in the workshop and a new cooler for the concession area.
“The Ritz has been the heart of downtown development initiatives in the past,” said Steve Hargrove, general manager of Sheffi eld Utilities. “We knew this type of fi nancial support would free up money the Ritz has invested so it could pursue its long-term plans to expand its programs and educational outreach.”
Eligible communities fall within National Opportunity Zones, underserved areas identifi ed by census data and factors such as income and population. Over the past two fi scal years, 80 businesses have received funding through the initiative. Each year, four local power companies work with community leaders in their service territory to identify 10 small businesses to participate.
The most common upgrades have been new indoor lighting, security lighting, HVAC systems and kitchen equipment. In addition to fi nancial benefi ts to the businesses, the initiative has recorded environmental benefi ts as well — including saving 1 gigawatt of energy and reducing participants’ carbon emissions by 450,000 pounds to date.
Another example is in North Nashville, Tennessee, where 24-year-old Anthony Williams manages Ed’s Fish and Pizza House, a drive-thru opened by his great-uncle in 1972.
TVA and Nashville Electric Service approached him about participating in the Community Centered Growth pilot, and his business received a new HVAC system that has decreased its energy bill by 20%.
“To see the impact of Community Centered Growth around this neighborhood is just phenomenal, because you’re seeing your neighbors being uplifted,” said Antonio Carroll, a representative with Nashville Electric Service. “You’re able to help folks who are helping themselves and help those who want to continue to help the neighborhoods they serve.”
Carolyn Greer, senior program manager with TVA Energy Services & Programs, agreed.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities,” she said, “and it is gratifying to provide support that will sustain them as well as their communities.”
The TVA Home Uplift team and local partners join together in Memphis.
Home Uplift improves residents’ health and homes’ energy effi ciency
When 80-year-old Jerry Perry’s HVAC system went out in his Middle Tennessee home, the retired hair stylist didn’t have the money to replace it.
He sat in his home this past winter, wearing as many as four coats and adding wood to his small fi replace to keep warm.
Thanks to a partnership between TVA EnergyRight® and Middle Tennessee Electric, Perry was able to participate in the Home Uplift program, which provides free energy upgrades in qualifying residents’ homes.
“It was life-changing,” Perry said. “I am so grateful. Words can’t express how I feel.”
Fifty-six local power companies currently are involved with Home Uplift, which has upgraded more than 3,700 homes in the Tennessee Valley since the program’s inception in 2018. Each home, on average, receives upgrades totaling $10,000.
Funding for Home Uplift is provided by TVA in partnership with local power companies. Third-party donors also participate. For example, in Middle Tennessee, the First Baptist Church in Murfreesboro donated $5,000, which TVA matched. In FY 2022, Home Uplift achieved milestones such as its 500th upgrade in Memphis and its 700th upgrade in Nashville. As the program expands across the Valley, TVA has looked for ways to increase community awareness, including offering outreach materials and applications in Spanish as well as Kurdish and connecting with local community-based organizations to promote the program.
For the average home, upgrades such as a new HVAC system, insulation and tighter seals around windows and doors reduce homeowners’ energy bills by as much as $500 a year.
The benefi ts of Home Uplift, however, stretch far beyond monetary savings.
“Two of the top priorities for EnergyRight® are health and safety,” said Bethany Kitch, Home Uplift senior program manager for TVA Energy Services & Programs. “A well-insulated home reduces the risk of illness, which means more days at work and fewer days at the doctor’s offi ce. That’s one of the many reasons Home Uplift fi ts directly with our mission of making lives better for the people in the Valley.”
TVA EnergyRight® has upgraded more than 3,700 home in the Tennessee Valley since 2018
Home Uplift has served 125 veterans
Reliable, low-cost energy brings high-paying jobs to the region
When Sinova Global, a Canadian company, asked
Dave Tuten to help evaluate where the company should build its new silicon metal plant, the experienced manufacturing executive had one answer: somewhere in TVA’s service territory.
“TVA was a major factor in Sinova Global’s deciding to build in Lake County, Tennessee,” said Tuten, who today is the company’s Chief Operating Offi cer. “We knew that TVA would provide access to responsible, reliable power from sustainable sources, that it is dedicated and committed to economic development, and that the process for getting work agreements and partnering would be easy. In short, it was a great fi t with Sinova Global’s way of doing business.”
Sinova Global is on track to open its silicon metal plant near
Tiptonville in early 2024, bringing 140 high-paying jobs to the area — one of the most economically distressed in the region. The company will be TVA’s newest and one of its largest directly served customers and is providing a vital resource while operating in a sustainable manner.
Sinova Global announced its decision in December 2021. With plans to use more than 100 megawatts of TVA energy, the 149-acre site will refi ne ultra-high-quality quartz into silicon metal for products such as solar cells, next-generation batteries and parts for electric vehicles.
“The impact this will have in Lake County will be multi-generational,” Tuten said. “We are building a distinctive company in Tennessee, and a range of stakeholders — including our communities and partners across the region and beyond — will benefi t from these efforts.”
— Dave Tuten, Sinova Global Chief Operating Offi cer
The Tennessee RiverLine Partnership is working to create a network of paddling, hiking and biking experiences along the Tennessee River.
Expanding ecotourism
Growing activity on the Tennessee RiverLine leads to economic growth opportunities
The pink and orange hues of the sunset refl ect off waves as an infl atable kayak glides across the Tennessee River.
Shannon Carter, a schoolteacher from Rossville, Georgia, shares this 10-foot-long kayak with her daughter as they fl oat along, immersed in peace.
The waterways of the Tennessee Valley offer beauty, biodiversity and recreational opportunities for tourists and locals alike, while also providing a boost to the local economy.
Carter is among 285,000 paddlers who ply the Tennessee River annually, a number TVA and Tennessee RiverLine would like to see increase.
TVA is proud to be a founding member of the Tennessee RiverLine Partnership, a regional initiative working to create a network of paddling, hiking and biking experiences that will stretch along the Tennessee River from Knoxville, Tennessee, through parts of Alabama and Mississippi, to Paducah, Kentucky.
The continuous water trail system will connect communities along the Tennessee River and encourage sustainable economic growth in its watershed.
In a study published in June 2022 by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, researchers from the University of Tennessee and the University of Alabama found that the Tennessee RiverLine could attract as many as 807,936 new paddlers.
The study found that this growth could increase spending in the region up to $103.8 million annually and increase total employment by 1,959.
Twenty communities are now enrolled in the RiverTown program, which invites communities near the river to become an active participant and featured destination in the RiverLine system.
“The RiverLine project is expected to positively affect the health of Valley residents as well as the environmental health of the river itself, making life better for the people of the Tennessee Valley,” said Allen Clare, TVA’s vice president of River and Resources Stewardship.
Regional Relations
TVA’s regional model, which we implemented in FY 2021, enhances our ability to cultivate strong local relationships and engage more deeply with specifi c community needs and issues. The critical priorities of each community vary, and our shift to this regional model strengthens our partnerships with local organizations and helps us better align our priorities and resources to meet communities’ needs.
WEST REGION NORTH REGION
SOUTH REGION
EAST REGION
Dan Pratt
TVA Senior Vice President, Regional Relations
Mark Yates
TVA Regional Vice President, West Region
Carol Eimers
TVA Regional Vice President, East Region
Justin Maierhofer
TVA Regional Vice President, North Region
Jared Mitchem
TVA Regional Vice President, South Region
Delivering on our promise
• TVA estimates it will have given $1.4 billion in credits back to our customers by the end of FY 2023 to invest in the communities we serve. • TVA and LPCs created the Community Care Fund program to help local charitable organizations provide assistance to those most impacted by the pandemic. Since April 2020, the Community Care Fund has contributed almost $18 million, with TVA and LPCs each contributing nearly $9 million. TVA has committed to adding an additional $3 million to the available Community Care Funds in FY 2023. • TVA donated more than $9 million in community contributions and disaster relief in FY 2022 to help strengthen partnerships across the Valley.
