Neighbors Powering What Matters

Community Energy: the benefit of Morristown Utilities and TVA working together
Community Energy

Community Energy—In Morristown, Tenn., 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 thanks to our protected lands, cleaner energy sources, and much more.

A Partnership of Service

Morristown Utilities 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

STEM Education and Innovative Partnerships

Morristown Utilities (MU) and TVA were founded on a mission to serve — through reliable and affordable energy, a safe and protected environment and thriving economic development.

From helping customers in crisis to partnering with neighboring utilities, Morristown Utilities takes a collaborative, innovative approach to supporting their community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, MU joined forces with TVA through TVA’s Community Care Fund to help customers in need. MU was proud to match TVA’s check, donating a total of $40,000 in the summer of 2020. As a result, 389 households received help paying their utilities.

Patricia Contic, director of communications at Morristown Utilities, said, “Right off the bat, we could tell customers, ‘We’re here for you. Your utilities are staying on. If you need help paying, it’s there.’ It opened up the doors to help customers financially.” In the fall, when MU received a second check from TVA, they matched it again.

News of the donations made by MU and TVA spurred many residents and local businesses to reach out to MU to find out how they also could contribute. This led to the creation of MU’s Operation Help, which resulted in an additional $5,000 in funds. “TVA’s fund allowed us to create our own and bring in more money for the community,” Contic said.

TVA also has helped support the Hamblen County school system through a $5,ooo TVA STEM grant. “We were able to reach all of our schools. That was a huge boost for our community. We’re just honored to be involved in that,” Contic said.

In 2021, while three schools received TVA STEM grants, Contic says one grant in particular stands out.

A special education teacher at Morristown West received a grant of $3,500 for her application, “Our Future Takes Us Virtually Anywhere.” The funds provided tablets for the students to use while they were learning from home during the pandemic. The teacher noted that these students learn better with touchscreens rather than on laptops.

Contic said. “Our partnership with TVA allows us to have partnerships with neighboring utilities.” MU and Appalachian Electric Cooperative often help each other during power outages and with shared projects.

During Earth Day 2021, AEC included MU on promotions for their electric vehicle (EV) charging station. Ultimately, both utilities have a mutual goal to bring clean, innovative, efficient energy solutions to their customers. Contic says the two are partnering together on their largest project yet, a new solar farm made possible through TVA’s Generation Flexibility program.  “We’ve always had an excellent relationship with AEC, and this TVA program takes it to another level.”

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.

Economic Development

Morristown Utilities works with TVA Economic Development to attract new companies and bring more jobs to the area and to help existing businesses and industries grow in a sustainable way.

In 2019, McNeilus Steel, a steel processor and distributor, announced plans to invest $18.8 million in a new production plant in Morristown, Tenn., including the creation of 70 new jobs. Economic development partners include Morristown Utility Systems, Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce, and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.

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. TVA partnerships with other economic development organizations, help to foster capital investment and job growth in the region.

Discover all the resources designed to help you manage your energy use and boost your bottom line.

Education

Morristown Utilities 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.

Morristown Utilities is proud of 2018 TVA STEM grant winners Lincoln Heights Middle School and Hamblen County Department of Education.

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 Morristown Utilities 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

Reliability

Morristown Utilities 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

Morristown Utilities 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 June 2021, 11 customers in the MUS service area have participated so far this year in TVA EnergyRight programs.

Community Energy - Residential