Page 26 - Nov-Dec2017 Vol35 No5

STATEWIDE By Alle Crampton

Environmental Successes
in Past Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards Nominations

The Governor’s Environmental Stew- Knoxville Utilities Board station and the 14th public station in
ardship Awards application process will Tennessee, joining Athens, Chattanooga,
open early this year in the hope of seeing a Knoxville Utilities Board has been using Huntsville, Memphis, Nashville, Sevier-
record high number of nominations. Last Compressed Natural Gas powered vehi- ville, Trenton, and Wartburg. Publicly
year there were 100 excellent nomina- cles since the 1970s, which has ultimately owned stations like these are viewed as a
tions, all of which had the opportunity for resulted in six national awards related to way to help grow the CNG market in the
positive publicity and increased exposure environmental stewardship since 2008. community until the private sector market
even if they did not win. Several incred- At the April 16, 2015 board meeting, develops. As of Sept. 11, the current public
ible nominations from last year include Knoxville Utilities Board announced the price per Gas Gallon Equivalent is $1.903.
projects by Middle Tennessee Electric planned construction of a new public
Membership Corporation, the Knoxville CNG station to support the growth of As part of its long term environmental
Utilities Board, and DENSO Manufactur- its CNG fleet of vehicles, and also enable sustainability plans, Knoxville Utilities
ing of Athens. the growth of CNG in the Knoxville area. Board also plans to expand its CNG fleet
In late 2016/early 2017, the Knoxville from 49 vehicles to approximately 100
Middle Tennessee Electric Utilities Board completed the first public vehicles by 2020. Knoxville Utilities Board
Membership Corporation CNG fueling station in the Knoxville area, has already completed part of this goal by
investing approximately $2.5 million in purchasing 10 new full-size CNG pickup
Middle Tennessee Electric is a the station. In February, private custom- trucks in 2016.
member-owned, not-for-profit electric ers began fueling at the Knoxville Utili-
cooperative, which recently completed ties Board station, with an estimated six Natural gas vehicles, fueled by CNG, are
construction of a solar array in the Mid- private companies using the station to fuel available in all vehicle classes from light-
dle Tennessee area. In November of 2016, their vehicles. As a partner of Tennessee duty compact cars to heavy-duty buses,
Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Clean Fuels Coalition, Knoxville Utilities refuse trucks, and semis. Use of CNG is
Corporation opened a one-megawatt Co- Board plans to work with them to market not only good for the environment, but
operative Solar facility in College Grove, the station to local and national fleets. it also makes good business sense with
which generates more than 248 MWh of the average cost of CNG being lower than
solar energy. This energy is put back into This will be Knoxville’s first public CNG gasoline or diesel.
Middle Tennessee Electric Membership
Corporation’s distribution grid. As of
March 2017, this solar power equals ap-
proximately 167 trees planted and 7,300
gallons of gasoline saved.

The program allows residential mem-
bers to sign up for a monthly $20 energy
block for which they can earn credit. This
provides an opportunity for Middle Ten-
nessee Electric Membership Corporation
members who are interested in solar
power to access it, without installing
solar panels on their own houses. Middle
Tennessee Electric Membership Corpora-
tion allows residents to bypass obstacles
like improper roof orientation, exces-
sive roof shading, restrictive subdivision
covenants or landlord prohibitions that
would normally prevent homeowners
and renters from installing solar systems.

This unique project allows people to
invest in sustainable and green energy
without having to bear the complete up
front cost of construction and start-up.
In turn, more people are becoming inter-
ested in accessible, cost-effective, green
energy.

26 TPW November/December 2017