City Invests to Save Energy, Reduce Emissions
October 28, 2026, 11:21 a.m.

KNOXVILLE - City Council has voted to support Mayor Indya Kincannon’s initiative to invest in energy savings while reducing carbon emissions.

The investment is guaranteed to pay for itself over time.

The Energy Savings Performance Contract with Trane U.S. Inc. was the biggest piece of a $5 million budget amendment that Council approved. Other components included additional funds for a Holston River ADA accessible boat launch, repairs from water damage at the Knoxville Convention Center, and accessibility and safety improvements to both the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall promenade and the Holston River boat launch projects.

The Trane contract calls for installing energy-efficient indoor and outdoor lighting at 75 City-owned facilities. It also incorporates previously-approved funding for solar arrays at five City facilities – the new Burlington fire station, the downtown fire station, Fleet Services’ Heavy Shop, the Public Safety Complex, and KAT’s Knoxville Station.

The $3.4 million investment approved tonight by Council is guaranteed to pay for itself in savings over 12 years while shrinking the City’s carbon footprint by 1,373 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

“Financially, this is a no-brainer, because it’s risk-free,” Mayor Kincannon said. “This up-front investment will pay for itself in the short term. Long term, it will pay dividends, saving taxpayers money through lower utility bills and operational efficiency.

“Saving energy is always the right thing to do for our children and grandchildren. We’re reducing the strain on the grid and making Knoxville cleaner and healthier.”

In other matters:

Sidewalks

Council authorized the Mayor to execute a $549,000 agreement with Design & Construction Services Inc. to replace 21,000 square feet of broken sidewalk at 27 sites throughout Knoxville. DCSI submitted the lowest bid and most responsive proposal of five companies that sought to do the work.

Affordable housing

The City will be providing $750,000 from the Affordable Rental Development Fund to support 100 affordable apartments at 360 Lovell Road that will serve low- and extremely low-income households.

City Council authorized Kincannon to allocate the funds to make the Union at Smoky Mountain project financially viable.

Mayor Kincannon has prioritized easing the effects of a national housing crisis in Knoxville. Since taking office less than seven years ago, permits to build 10,000 new homes have been issued by the City – and 4,000 of those new homes have been affordable.

Litter and graffiti

The City is continuing its long-standing partnership with Keep Knoxville Beautiful.

KKB is supporting City crews in doing litter pickup, prevention, and graffiti cleanup. The $150,000 contract also includes awareness and education efforts while increasing the number of community partners participating in litter abatement.