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About EESI

Background

Tennessee’s General Assembly passed the Energy Efficient Schools Initiative (EESI) of 2008 (Public Chapter No. 1188) to provide funds to K-12 schools for energy efficiency projects. This Act also created an 12 member energy efficient schools council (Council) to approve technical guidelines, incentive levels, and establish and support energy management programs. The Council selected a team of highly professional and experienced individuals to serve on a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The TAC selected Energy & Resource Solutions (ERS) to develop EESI’s energy efficiency incentives program. Ron Graham is the Executive Director and Holly Russ is the Program Administrator.

Council Members

  • Dr. Timothy Webb, President Director of Schools for Cheatham County
  • Mike Herrmann, Vice President, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education
  • Molly Cripps, Director, Energy Division, Department of Economic and Community Development
  • Mayor Carolyn Bowers, Montgomery County
  • Mike Gundersen, General Manager-Elk River Public Utility District
  • Jim Keiffer, TVA, Vice President, Customer Strategy, Measurement and Support
  • Rick Thompson, President of ARTECH Design-Chattanooga County Executive
  • Thomas Rogers, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Director of Industrial and Economic Development Partnership
  • Denny Hastings, Residential Contractor
  • Lori Munkeboe, Director, TDEC Office of Environmental Assistance
  • Allen Foster, Cumberland County Commissioner

TAC Members

  • Jim Keiffer (Co-Chair), TVA, VP, Customer Strategy Measurement and Support
  • Patrick Hughes (Co-Chair), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Director of Building Technologies
  • Lee Baker, Tennessee Valley Public Power Association
  • Terry Townsend, PE, LEED AP, President, Townsend Engineering
  • Kim Shinn, PE, LEED AP, Director of Sustainable Design, TLC Engineering for Architecture
  • James Hastings, Founding Principal & Architect, Hastings Architecture Associates