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Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Announces Next Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Cycle

Funding Helps Promote Energy Efficiency Projects, Benefiting the Environment and Bottom Line

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today announced a second offering of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grants, totaling $2.25 million to fund energy efficiency projects for municipal governments, county governments, utility districts, and other similar entities across Tennessee.

Funding for the projects 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.

“Increasing Tennessee’s energy efficiency will help us be even better stewards of both taxpayer dollars and our environment,” Haslam said. “The projects we’ve been in a position to fund have benefited Tennesseans on both fronts, and I look forward to the opportunity to provide additional funding for more innovative projects this coming year.”

The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program provides financial assistance to purchase, install and construct energy projects.

Eligible categories of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program include

  • Cleaner Alternative Energy – biomass, geothermal, solar, wind
  • Energy Conservation – lighting, HVAC improvements, improved fuel efficiency, insulation, idling minimization
  • Air Quality Improvement – reduction in greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, hazardous air pollutants

“We are pleased to announce this second round of Clean Tennessee Energy Grants and are confident we will receive an equally impressive array of projects as we did this past year,” said Martineau. “These grants provide an outstanding opportunity to promote environmental stewardship and energy efficiency across the state, while decreasing emissions and reducing expenses at the local level.”

The maximum grant amount per project is $250,000 and requires a match from the applicant. Grant applications are available on TDEC’s website and will be accepted until January 31st, 2013. Recipients are expected to be announced by mid-May.

Grant recipients will be selected with careful consideration given to the projects that meet the selection criteria and express the greatest need. To learn more about the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant or to obtain an application, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/energygrants/ or contact Kathy Glapa at 615.253.8780 or Kathy.Glapa@tn.gov.

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