TDEC to Announce Statewide Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Recipients in Memphis on June 21

Seventeen grants will be announced, including recipients in Shelby and Tipton Counties

Nashville – Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau will announce the statewide recipients of the new Clean Tennessee Energy Grants, with more than $2.3 million to be awarded to 17 communities across the state for projects designed to increase costs savings and decrease emissions. 

The announcement will be made in Memphis and will highlight two of the grant winners from the West Tennessee area. The city of Covington in Tipton County will receive $250,000 – the highest grant amount that can be awarded – for a Waste Biomass Gasification to Energy project designed to create electricity and utilize the city’s wood waste and biosolids as fuel. Greene Turbine, LLC in Shelby County is slated to receive $125,000 to commercialize the facility’s unique, patent-pending technology, harnessing hydrokinetic power from underwater turbines in the Mississippi River for delivery to Tennessee’s electrical grid. 

The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program provides financial assistance to state and local government agencies, utility districts, and private businesses/organizations in Tennessee to purchase, install, and construct energy projects. The competitive grant program will fund energy efficiency projects for local governments and municipalities, utilities, other organizations and private entities. 

The roster of applicants seeking to decrease emissions and reduce expenses at the local level was very impressive,” said Martineau. “Both the city of Covington and Greene Turbine, LLC demonstrated great ingenuity and are excellent examples of the innovation that will provide long-term environmental benefits to Tennessee.  We are excited to be in West Tennessee to announce all 17 of these premiere recipients.”  

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.

WHO:             

Commissioner Bob Martineau, Environment and Conservation

Mayor David Gordon, Covington

Deputy Commissioner Shari Meghreblian, Environment and Conservation

Assistant Commissioner Kelly Smith, Department of General Services

Geoff Greene, CEO of Greene Turbine, LLC

WHAT:

Announcement of the statewide Clean Tennessee Energy Grant recipients, including the city of Covington in Tipton County and Greene Turbine, LLC in Shelby County. 

WHEN:           

Thursday, June 21, 2012 / 9 a.m.

WHERE:         

River Inn of Harbor Town – River Hall

726 Island Drive

Memphis, Tenn. 38103

Members of the media are invited to attend the event, followed by light refreshments.  Directions to the inn can be found at:  http://www.riverinnmemphis.com/default.aspx?pg=about_directions.  To learn more about the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant and future grants, please visit www.tn.gov/environment/energygrants/. 

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