City and State Initiatives, TVA, ORNL
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Flossy on -
They have built the windmills on Buffalo Mtn, i.e. Windrock, and they have worked with utility boards in the east tennesee area to offer consumers the oportunity to contribute to green power through contributions on their monthly bills. Their methods are green-e certified. I encourage you to go to the website green-e.org for an indepth look at what this means. These are just a couple positive things they've done off the top of my head. Just trying to get things going...
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Permalink Reply by Bob Orrin on -
TVA is generating power mainly with coal, some (but not enough nuclear), a little wind power from Wind Rock Mountain, and hydro generation. When I come home I like to turn on the toggle switch and low and behold the lights come on. Thank you TVA.
Let's not knock people that use USA energy for our betterment...lets find ways as Mr. Pickens suggest to rid ourselves from foreign oil...drill in the USA, establish more refineries, construct more nuclear plants, research and establish clean coal production, develop wind power where feasible, do solar, and develop a nation power grid to transmit power from coast to coast. -
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Permalink Reply by Larry Lance on -
Bob,
I agree. TVA is just about the cheapest power in the United States. They also seem to be willing to work with people who can generate excess power. -
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on -
If you click the link in "How can we stick it ti them for a switch , it takes you to TVA's green power switch site, which gives information for really positive ways anybody who buys power from them (or wants to generate power to sell back to them) can effect change in our community. I thank you for opening some discussion, with some specifics. Be sure to click the links. I promise there will be something cool to click on that is ACTION!able in every post. Click this if you don't read paper news that much anymore because you're sitting in front of your computer right now. It's $60 a month, BUT (keep reading) instead of clicking on the headlines, open another tab (Control T) and type the headline in the google toolbar and find them on your own. You are awesome.
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Permalink Reply by Flossy on
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do me a favor and make these links open up a new window instead of redirecting the current window I'm reading. I want to easily get back to the discussions at hand. Know what I mean?
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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This bus has double the fuel efficiency of conventional hybrids from Fisher Coachworks with help from ORNL
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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Allegheny Energy's Pennsylvania Wind Energy Program Approved; similar to TVA Green Power Switch
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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Reducing the Appetite
ORNL and TVA are joining hands to reduce the South's energy demand
Vermont, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Maryland, Connecticut and New Jersey. The eclectic group is "America's Greenest States," a list produced by Forbes magazine last fall.
To find southern representation, however, keep reading—all the way down to number 20, Florida; 23, Virginia; 29, Georgia and 36, South Carolina. Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and West Virginia make up seven of the bottom eight on the "Greenest States" list. full article from Oak Ridge National Laboratory review -
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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Eric O'Keefe, frequent contributor to the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Fox Business has interviewed in addition to Knox County Mayor Ragsdale: Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Hank Aaron, Prince Charles, Sam Shepard, Tom Brokaw, WILLIE NELSON, and T. Boone Pickens.
Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale Talks About His Green Team
Tell us what steps East Tennessee is taking to secure America’s energy independence.
We’ve created the Knox County Green Team.
What’s that?
We’re looking at every way possible that we can reduce energy consumption and not hold ourselves hostage to foreign oil producers. We’re taking some very practical steps such as campaigns to turn out the lights, turn down the heat, back off on the air-conditioning, and things like that. We’re using some hybrid cars in our fleet.
What sort of a difference can the Green Team make?
When you’re a community of 400,000 and have over 80 school buildings it can go a long way toward helping us meet our budget requirements. It also enables us to spend more dollars on the things that are important like public education, public safety, parks and recreation, and less dollars on energy sources.
Is the Green Team limited solely to Knox County facilities?
We’re trying to take it not only inside the workplace but outside the workplace as well. So we’ve encouraged our county employees to become a member of the Green Team. Sign up for the Green Team and the Tennessee Valley Authority comes and does an energy audit of your home. You also agree to use certain recyclables and make personal steps as well to make America more energy independent.
It sounds like Knox County is taking a multifaceted approach to tackling its energy needs.
I think a lot of times we look for one big initiative that’s going to solve all our concerns. I don’t think life works that way. In this particular case I think we have to use lots of different steps to get back our energy independence.
Practical solutions can often have far-reaching effects.
That’s right. For years we’ve had struggles in our area with air quality control. Our air is cleaner now than any time it’s been in the past 20 years, and there’s a reason for that. We’re using cleaner fuels, more efficient fuels, and we’re also trying to reduce the number of trips that people take in their vehicles around town. So again, it’s some very practical steps that we’re taking and we’re seeing some great efficiency.
And also one thing that I think is oftentimes overlooked is that if you’re using more efficient fuels and cleaner fuels, it helps the environment compared to strictly using petroleum and coal.
Last question. Are you a Green Team member?
I’m proud to be a member
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, CONDENSED, AND EDITED BY ERIC O’KEEFE
Originally posted in the Daily Pickens at PickensPlan.com
Here is a draft of the Knoxville Energy and Sustainability Strategic Plan
Read about Knoxville designated Solar American City
Cool Cities, City Profiles Knoxville, TN
Tennessee Governor's Task Force on Energy Policy
Knox County Mayor Office website
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council Formed; Focus on Cellulosic Ethanol and Biodiesel
University of Tennessee's Institute for Public Service consultants and several city mayors have formed the Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council, a non-profit organization promoting renewable energy opportunities for rural economic development in Tennessee.
The Council represents local governments, farmers, energy and service providers, businesses, resource agencies and universities and aims to aggressively develop Tennessee’s abundant natural renewable resources. Goals of the Council are to spur sustainable economic development, address environmental concerns, diversify the state’s energy supply and provide long-term energy security to Tennessee.
According to Warren Nevad, UT's Municipal Management Consultant, the initial focus of the Council will be on cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel. The University of Tennessee has partnered with Dupont Danisco to build a pilot 250,000 gallon cellulosic ethanol plant using corn stover and switchgrass grown within a 50 mile radius of the plant. Eventually, UT hopes to facilitate the commercialization of 1 billion gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production. read more at IREC
Crossville Chronicle: Group Forms to Promote Renewable Energy
Contact info: Council Secretary, Crossville Mayor J.H. Graham III -
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Permalink Reply by Eric Lykins on
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RecycleBank: Bonus points for your trash
this post copied from R. Neal at Knoxviews on Sun, 2009/01/25 - 10:32am.
Here's an interesting and innovative new program coming to East Tennessee beginning March 2nd. RecycleBank is launching city-wide in Oak Ridge and Jefferson City, and on a subscription basis in Knoxville.
RecycleBank lets residents track the environmental impact of their recycling efforts and earn points redeemable with over 900 participating companies. Read more about how it works after the jump...
From RecycleBank:
An exciting new recycling rewards program is coming to Tennessee on Monday, March 2.
With the help of Waste Connections, RecycleBank will launch citywide in Oak Ridge and Jefferson City and as a subscription service in Knoxville.
How does RecycleBank work?
• RecycleBank partners with local municipalities or waste haulers to give households a recycling cart with an ID tag on it.
• Residents fill up their single-sort carts weekly with recyclables.
• RecycleBank then measures the amount of material each home recycles then converts that activity into RecycleBank Points. The more a household recycles, the more "Points" they earn (think airline miles).
• Participants can watch their RecycleBank Points grow online at Link... with each weekly pick-up, as well as learn about their personal environmental impact through recycling.
• RecycleBank Points can be redeemed with over 900 national and local reward partners like Kraft Foods and Target.com – a particularly enticing incentive for families in these tough economic times!
The program is successfully operating in hundreds of thousands of homes across 15 states – and growing quickly. It’s a revolutionary idea that’s changing the way cities think about economics and the environment.
Find out more at the RecycleBank website. -
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