TDEC to Present Clean Tennessee Energy Grant to Ashland City

Grant to Assist Town in Rebuilding of Offices Destroyed in 2010 Flood

Nashville – Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau and Division of Water Resources Director Sandra Dudley will present a Clean Tennessee Energy Grant to the town of Ashland City on October 25 at 9:30 a.m. at the Ashland City Water Plant.

Ashland City’s lab building and water and sewer treatment plant office were destroyed in the flood of 2010. Since the flood, employees have been performing important testing and lab work in a small office trailer. The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant will assist them in returning the water and sewer treatment plants to a safe and healthy environment for the employees, as well as the citizens and businesses that reside nearby.

WHO:             TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau

                        Water Resources Director Sandra Dudley

                        Ashland City Mayor Richard Johnson

                        Water and Wastewater Superintendent Billy Harris

                        Public Works Director Dwayne Noe

WHAT:             Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Check Presentation to Ashland City

WHEN:             Friday, October 25

                          9:30 a.m.

WHERE:           Ashland City Water Plant

                         109 Adkisson Street, Ashland City

With the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant, Ashland City will upgrade and expand the water and wastewater plants by replacing the HVAC with a SEER rating above 16, installing low-wattage LED lighting and varying frequency drives on water treatment pumps to use only energy necessary to meet demand. With the three new HVAC units, the city would have a monthly savings of $90 and a yearly savings of $1,080. The LED lighting would save over 70 kWh per month. By placing a varying frequency drive on the water plant motors, the plant will reduce energy use by 32 percent. The plant uses an average of 42,480 kWh every month, which is an average of $5,000 a month. With the installation of a VFD, the plant will save 13,594 kWh monthly, along with a monetary savings of $1,600 monthly and $19,200 annually.

The Clean Tennessee Energy Grants are awarded for projects designed to reduce air emissions, improve energy efficiency and create cost savings. The grant program provides financial assistance to state and local government agencies, utility districts and quasi-government entities in Tennessee to purchase, install and construct energy projects.  Funding for the project comes from an April 2011 Clean Air Act settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Under the Consent Decree, Tennessee will receive $26.4 million over five years to fund clean air programs in the state (at approximately $5.25 million per year). As part of the grant program’s initial offering, a total of $5.3 million in Clean Energy Grants was awarded in 2012 to a variety of projects within state government, municipalities, utilities, state colleges and universities and communities throughout the state.

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