Nashville Electric Service announced that Whitsitt Elementary has been awarded a $400,000 Building Energy Upgrade or Learning Environment grant through the Tennessee Valley Authority’s School Uplift program.
Tight budgets and aging buildings leave many schools facing a difficult decision between funding learning programs or making necessary facility upgrades. To help solve that problem, TVA’s $7.3M School Uplift program is helping 160 public schools in seven states.
School Uplift is a 12-month behavior-based energy management training program developed with the state of Tennessee’s Energy Efficient Schools Initiative. It helps public school districts make smart energy choices that improve the classroom learning environment and save money through decreased energy use.
“School Uplift is another way we’ve partnered with TVA to invest in our community,” said Decosta Jenkins, NES president/CEO. “We are so excited that Whitsitt earned this grant, which will enable administrators to receive upgrades that will improve their facility while making the school more efficient, healthy and comfortable for teachers and students. The faculty, staff and students have made energy efficiency a priority over the last school year and earned this grant through their hard work.”
Sixty schools have completed the School Uplift pilot over the past two years to earn grants for building upgrades and other learning environment improvements. On average, participating schools have saved more than 10% on their annual energy bills from behavior changes alone.
“Every dollar invested in our schools helps districts allocate resources to where it matters most (educating our children), and we’re excited to bring School Uplift to the communities we serve,” said Cindy Herron, vice president of TVA EnergyRight. “Helping schools save money on their energy costs and improve learning environments is an important investment in the Valley’s future. I look forward to seeing how this program makes an impact for years to come.”
To celebrate the victory, TVA EnergyRight and NES will present the school with the check on May 20 at 2 pm and will also provide snow cones for students. The partnership will continue to recruit public K-12 schools for the 2023-24 program later this year. Visit <energyright.com/business-industry/school-uplift/> to express interest in participating in this exciting program.
