The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) selected the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as one of the ENERGY STAR Partners of the Year in energy efficiency for 2023.
The ENERGY STAR program honors a “group of businesses and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy achievements,” according to the program’s description on the EPA and DOE websites.
EPA’s ENERGY STAR partners and #EnergyStarAwards winners are committed to promoting broader access to energy-saving products and home improvements among disadvantaged households.
Learn more about energy equity and ENERGY STAR: https://t.co/VSHDUmn0Wy pic.twitter.com/e4vUrp5EhA
— ENERGY STAR (@ENERGYSTAR) March 28, 2023
TVA was awarded for its Home Uplift program, which provides free energy-efficient technologies and improvements to the homes of income-eligible participants.
“For nearly 90 years, TVA has worked to make a positive impact on the communities we serve, and this award recognizes the efforts of our employees and partners who ensure the success of the Home Uplift program,” Cindy Herron, TVA vice president of Energy Services and Programs said in a statement.
The program also named motor vehicle manufacturer Nissan North America, Inc in Franklin, Tennessee, as one of its 2023 ENERGY STAR Partners of the Year, for “utilizing ENERGY STAR tools and resources to reduce its North American manufacturing energy intensity by 1% despite lower production levels caused by supply chain disruptions.”
The TVA’s award comes nearly four months after the company issued rolling blackout mandates during Christmas weekend for 153 local power companies across Tennessee and beyond after failing to meet the power demand during a period of cold temperatures.
On December 23, 2022, TVA hit the “highest 24-hour electricity demand” in its nearly 90-year history, with 740 gigawatt-hours being supplied. That same day also saw the company experiencing its “highest winter peak power demand” of 33,425 megawatts. On Christmas Eve, TVA hit its “highest weekend peak power demand” in its history, recording a record 31,765 megawatts.
Shortly after the holidays, TVA announced that a “thorough review” was in place of the events leading up to the rolling blackout mandates, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Tennessee Valley Authority Control Room” by Tennessee Valley Authority.
