Local choices about energy remain central to communities making decisions for resilience and prosperity in Tennessee. That was evident at the most recent Tennessee Renewable Energy Council gathering in Cookeville.
“We have a microgrid to help us during disaster recovery,” shared Ripley Mayor Craig Fitzhugh. “It’s a pretty cool idea.” He explained to the audience how the mobile microgrid, comprising solar photovoltaics and batteries, can power the local elementary school or the fire station. The project came to life via grant funds in connection with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Along with the need to withstand disasters is the moving target of meeting energy needs at a time of tremendous load growth. “Now more frequently we’re looking at what the electric needs for our region are,” said Executive Director Mark Farley of the Upper Cumberland Development District.
Offering a resource for local power companies to manage future grid demands are the researchers at Tennessee Tech University. Their multi-year, grant-funded work continues to demonstrate, through specialized software, how LPCs can prepare for communities’ energy needs.
Meantime, Maryville College hosts the Crawford House Solar + Storage demonstration system designed by Solar Alliance. At the conference, environmental programs founder Bruce Guillaume explained how battery storage stepped ensurin during a brief power outage, allowing a continuous electricity supply to Crawford House.
Greater Nashville Regional Council Director Michael Skipper cautioned that planning now can help communities better withstand future disasters, stressing, “The more we go renewable, the more we have smarter land use planning that allows people to live closer to where they work, the less vulnerable we’re going to be to these disruptions.”
Nashville’s Director of Sustainability and Resilience, Dr. Kendra Abkowitz, added about sustainability efforts, “We’re moving in the right direction, very, very slowly.”
Anne Brock is marketing coordinator for Solar Alliance, which provides Commercial Solar services. She can be reached at abrock@solaralliance.com or 865-221-8349.
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