10:02 a.m. April 24, 2013
TVA honors green power switch leaders

GATLINBURG, TN – The Tennessee Valley Authority has honored regional businesses, local power distributors and other local leaders for exceptional leadership and participation in TVA’s Green Power Switch renewable energy program in 2012. Green Power Switch Leadership Awards were presented in 13 categories Tuesday, April 23, in a special ceremony in Gatlinburg. Local companies receiving an award were Knoxville Utilities Board and Appalachian Electric Cooperative. The City of Knoxville, the University of Tennessee, and Maryville College received awards in the business category.

Launched in 2000, Green Power Switch is the first program of its kind in the Southeast to give consumers and businesses a way to support renewable energy by purchasing 150-kilowatt blocks of TVA green power through their local power company.

Today, nearly 12,000 residential customers and more than 500 businesses are subscribed to the TVA program, purchasing almost 47,000 blocks of green power monthly.

The Leadership Awards recognized local power companies that signed up the most consumers, the most businesses or the highest percentage of customers in Green Power Switch. Businesses were recognized for the most Green Power Switch energy blocks purchased or the most Green Power Switch purchased combined with energy efficiency efforts.

The TVA Green Power Switch 2012 Leadership Award recipients are:

Local Power Companies:
• Knoxville Utilities Board: Leader of the Year – Total Sales
• Tullahoma Board of Public Utilities: Leader of the Year – Percent of Electricity Sales
• Memphis Light, Gas and Water: Top Recruiter of the Year – Most new Green Power Switch customers
• Huntsville Utilities: Top Recruiter of the Year – Most growth in energy block sales
• Cookeville Electric Department: Catalyst Award – Largest single new Green Power Switchblock purchase
• Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Carthage, TN: Pacesetter Award – Highest average block purchase per residential customer
• Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market, Tenn., Local Power Company Innovator of the Year

Businesses:
• DayBrite Lighting, Tupelo, Miss.: Innovator of the Year – Energy Efficiency
• Maryville College: Innovator of the Year – Renewable Generation
• ColorMasters, Albertville, Ala.: Business of the Year – Small business
• City of Knoxville: Community of the Year
• BASF, Chattanooga, Tenn., Workplace Champion of the Year – Encouraging employee engagement
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville: Sustainable Pioneer – Largest Green Power Switch product purchase

Consumers can help increase the amount of renewable energy generated in the Valley by purchasing Green Power Switch energy blocks of 150 kilowatts each (about 12 percent of a typical Tennessee Valley home’s monthly electricity use) from their local power distributor. Each block costs $4 monthly and consumers can buy as many blocks as they like. Additional information on TVA’s Green Power Switch program is available online at www.greenpowerswitch.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors serving 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity. In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.

Published April 24, 2013