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Neighbors Powering What Matters

Community Energy: the benefit of Fort Payne Improvement Authority and TVA working together
Community Energy

Community Energy—In Fort Payne, Ala. Our Power Means More

Our region is powered by a public power model — owned by and accountable to the people who live here. So the initiatives we invest in through our power model serve one purpose: helping our communities thrive.

Because we support public power, we all benefit from Community Energy. It’s the progress our model enables — like more job opportunities thanks to thriving and growing communities, outdoor recreation made possible by our protected lands, cleaner energy sources, and much more.

A Partnership of Service

Fort Payne Improvement Authority and TVA work together to power not just our homes and businesses, but our potential too — by combining efforts to help create a future we all believe in.

Working Together to Make Life in Our Community Better

Fort Payne Improvement Authority (FPIA) and TVA were founded on a mission to serve — through reliable and affordable energy, a safe and protected environment and thriving economic development.

FPIA provides electricity to 8,500 residential and business customers in Fort Payne, Alabama and other communities within DeKalb County, maintaining 400 miles of transmission lines.

Our energy has fueled progress in our region since 1933. See the ways it's helping shape our future.

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Resources for Your Home, Business and Life

Our partnership makes helpful programs like these possible.

Economic Development

FPIA is partnering with TVA Economic Development and DeKalb County Economic Development Authority to ensure the electric infrastructure is available to support growth of local business and industry. In 2022 FPIA will complete a new substation serving many existing customers with reliable power, while also establishing a strong power source for economic development. FPIA and TVA work in concert to support and encourage industry and local business throughout the community.

TVA Economic Development recognized FPIA with a Silver level Valley Sustainable Community certification. The honor is the result of a healthy environment, thriving community and sustainable practices that contribute to economic prosperity for existing businesses and make for an attractive place to live and work.

TVA Economic Development serves the seven states that make up the TVA service area—almost all of Tennessee and parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. Partnerships with other economic development organizations also help to foster capital investment and increase employment opportunities in the region.

A contractor and TVA representative consulting on a project

Electric Vehicles

FPIA is proud to be the first local power company (LPC) to install a charging site as a part of TVA’s Fast Charge Network. This initiative in the Valley supports the National Electric Highway Coalition’s mission to place public fast chargers every 50 miles throughout Alabama the United States.

Shirey says,“This station does more than charge cars. It connects Fort Payne to the Fast Charge Network and plays an important role in putting our region on the leading edge of the new electric economy. We are very happy to be the first of the 153 LPCs to participate.”

“We moved quickly to participate in this program because we want to make it easy for people to choose EVs so our community can enjoy the environmental and economic benefits of electric transportation,” Shirey says. “And the support from TVA and grant funding from Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) made it possible to add charging stations without affecting our customers’ bills.”

Seven States Power Corporation is also a project partner, and has provided technical and management support.

In comparison to gas-fueled vehicles, EVs make for a smoother and more efficient ride, are easier to maintain, and are better for the environment. FPIA partners with TVA EnergyRight® to make it easier for drivers to decide if making the switch to an EV makes sense for them. From a comparison tool to help select an EV that fits your needs, to a digital map that helps easily locate charging stations along your route, all the information you need is here.

Plugging in an electric vehicle

Reliability

FPIA partners with TVA to provide safe, reliable, clean power to service area customers. TVA supplies
community energy to 153 local power companies and about 60 large industrial customers and federal
facilities at the lowest feasible cost. For more than 20 years, TVA’s transmission system has achieved a
reliability rate of 99.999 percent. More than half of the electricity generated by TVA is derived from
carbon-free resources. TVA’s diverse energy portfolio includes coal, gas, nuclear and hydroelectric plants
as well as renewables.

FPIA invests in the people, technology, equipment and controls needed to provide reliable service, and
continues to make upgrades over time. In 2020, FPIA deployed an advanced metering system, and in
2022, they added a substation to prepare their service area for growth.

Reliability

Residential

Fort Payne Improvement Authority partners with TVA to help customers make smart home energy decisions and save money on the power bill through TVA EnergyRight®. Together, they provide resources such as DIY home energy-saving solutions to reputable local contractor recommendations.

Mike Shirey, GM, FPIA says, “It is our privilege and responsibility to contribute to the quality of life in this community.”

Community Energy - Residential