Neighbors Powering What Matters

Community Energy: the benefit of Murray Electric System and TVA working together
Community Energy

Community Energy—In Murray, Ky., 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

Murray Electric System (MES) 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

Environment, Education and Supportive Partnerships

Murray Electric System (MES) and TVA were founded on a mission to serve — through reliable and affordable energy, a safe and protected environment and thriving economic development.

Home to Murray State University, Murray sits at the heart of Kentucky Lake, TVA’s largest reservoir and part of its environmental stewardship program. Camping, fishing and eagle-watching are just a few of the outdoor activities residents and tourists enjoy. And local schools have fishing teams that participate in tournaments on the lake.

Community energy benefits students in the classroom as well. Mary Beth Paschall, MES marketing and telephone coordinator  says they were proud to partner with TVA and Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated (a TVA retiree organization) to present Murray Independent School District (MISD) with a $5,000 2021 STEM grant. The funding was used to purchase Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality  technology for the classroom to explore cultures and places through virtual field trips they couldn’t experience otherwise, Paschall said.

MISD was one of only two school districts in Western Kentucky to receive a TVA STEM grant, and 2021 marked the second year in a row that they earned this highly competitive award. Schools must receive their power from a TVA distributor such as MES to be eligible to receive a STEM grant. MES is proud that their partnership with TVA helps to make funding opportunities like these possible for the students in their community.

The team at MES also enjoys reaching out to schools in fun, creative ways. “We have a tiny [model] city that our linemen built with power poles, houses and even cars. They teach the kids, mostly fourth graders, how electricity works and guiding principles of electrical safety,” Paschall said.

The value of community energy extends to all customers, especially when times are tough. Paschall said, “We had a major [company], Briggs & Stratton, shut down in the community. That shut-down, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, put a financial strain on a lot of our neighbors.” MES partnered with TVA twice in 2020 to donate a total of $40,000 through the TVA Community Cares Fund to both The United Way and Mayfield-Graves County Needline to help customers struggling to pay utility bills.

In December 2021, the town of Murray began to face another major challenge when a devastating tornado struck the town and much of Western Kentucky. Recovery efforts will take a long time, but with caring actions from near and far and supportive partnerships, MES is not on this journey alone.

TVA and Partners Tornado Response video (3:25) by TVA, featuring featuring MEWS general superintendent Marty Ivy, Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (RECC) president and CEO Dewayne McDonald, Graves County Sheriff Jon Hayden and Mayfield Mayor Kathy O’Nan.

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

Resources for Your Home, Business and Life

Our partnership makes helpful programs like these possible.

Education

Murray Electric System (MES) and TVA work together to support community-wide learning about energy efficiency, meet STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) objectives and provide opportunities to develop skills that can prepare students for careers in technical fields. 

TVA STEM Grants

Teachers in public schools that receive power from a TVA distributor can win STEM grants up to $5,000. In 2022 alone, TVA distributed $1 million, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated, a TVA retiree organization, and the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network. TVA gives preference to applications covering its primary areas of focus–environment, energy, economic development, and community problem solving.

MES is proud of Murray Middle School for winning a TVA STEM grant in 2019.

TVA EnergyRight® School Uplift 

Schools enrolled in TVA EnergyRight® School Uplift receive infrastructure upgrades to reduce energy costs and improve the quality of the learning environment. Heating, cooling and lighting improvements are the tip of the iceberg, however as the program’s focus is long-term learning for communities. Students and faculty at chosen schools receive behavior-based strategic energy management (SEM) training and learn easy, actionable energy saving tips and energy efficiency practices.  

TVA EnergyRight Educational Workshops

Eye Spy Energy Kids’ Workshop

TVA EnergyRight and MES partner to bring Spark, Bolt, Zap and their other EnergyRight Monster friends to elementary schools across the community, teaching students where energy comes from, how we use it and ways to save at home. Students can continue the energy-saving fun with their families using Eye Spy Energy Kits.

EnergyRight® Energy Monsters

TVA and local power companies partner up to bring EnergyRight® Energy Monsters workshops to schools to teach where energy comes from, how we use it and ways to save at home. Students can take home Eye Spy Energy Kits to continue the energy savings fun with their families.

Education

Recreation

TVA’s management of the Valley’s public lands and waterways provides many opportunities for Tennessee residents and tourists to participate in outdoor activities.

The Murray community enjoys fishing and recreation on Kentucky Lake, which is supported by TVA’s environmental stewardship.

Reliability

MES 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. Over half of the electricity generated by TVA comes from carbon-free resources. TVA’s diverse energy portfolio includes coal, gas, nuclear and hydroelectric plants as well as renewable resources. For over 20 years, TVA’s transmission system has achieved a reliability rate of 99.999 percent.

Reliability

Residential

MES partners with TVA to help customers make smart energy decisions and save money through TVA EnergyRight®

Our partnership with TVA EnergyRight offers you resources to help with your home’s energy needs. From DIY energy-saving advice to finding a local contractor you can trust, TVA EnergyRight resources can help you improve your home’s energy efficiency and save money on your power bill.

As of August 2021, several customers in the MES service area have participated so far this year in TVA EnergyRight programs.

Community Energy - Residential