The Tennessee Valley Authority is awarding $2.6 million in School Uplift grants. Hickory Creek Elementary was awarded $25,000 and Eastside Elementary received $10,000. The awards were announced by McMinnville Electric System. To date, TVA says they have donated $7.28 million which they estimate saved 118 schools about 10% on their energy bills through the School Uplift Program. The TVA program is in line with Tennessee’s Energy Efficient Schools Initiative. It’s believed that the average combined energy savings from School Uplift award renovations could be equal to the carbon dioxide equivalent of over 29.5 million pounds of coal. 

Grant amounts were awarded based on what score the school got for cutting energy waste. In May 2021 when TVA announced the launch of the School Uplift program, the plan was to invest $7.3 million over the next three years. Last year, MES announced an award of  a $100,000 Learning Environment grant through TVA School Uplift to Warren County High School. Part of the plan is increasing energy savings by gamifying energy-saving measures encouraging energy-saving behaviors that encourage conservation to go along with the green renovations. 

Many school principals are excited about the grants, including Eastside Elementary School principal Rex Crabtree.

“Our students voted earlier in the year on what outside projects they would prefer and they voted to repair and fix old or broken playground equipment. This grant money will help us to make our playground safer for everyone and will allow us to update some of our items. Mrs. (Ashlee)Herren, my coordinator for this grant, worked tirelessly throughout this year in helping our building become more energy conscious and to educate our students and staff about the best ways to save energy. Eastside has many great things that are happening and we are excited as we move forward,” Crabtree announced. 

“We are very proud of our schools and thankful for TVA for supporting our district so well.  This makes the second year in a row that one of our schools has benefitted from the grant.  We are also very pleased with how our schools have worked to decrease energy usage which saves money and helps educate our students about that responsibility.  Those funds will be put to good use in improving both of our campuses,” Warren County Director of Schools Dr. Grant Swallows added. 

“School Uplift is another great example of TVA and MES’s partnership and investment in our community,” said Board of Public Utilities Chairman, Dr. Jeffrey A. McKinley. “This program is very effective in teaching students and administrators how to make our schools more efficient and comfortable. The staff and students are to be commended in their efforts in making this grant a reality. We look forward to seeing how leaders at Hickory Creek Elementary put these energy dollars to work for the faculty, staff, and students.”