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Neighbors Powering What Matters

Community Energy: the benefit Russellville Electric Plant Board and TVA working together
Community Energy

Community Energy—In Russellville, Ky., 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

Russellville Electric Plant Board (Russellville EPB Smartnet) 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

Russellville Electric Plant Board (EPB Smartnet) and TVA were founded on a mission to serve — through reliable and affordable energy, a safe and protected environment and thriving economic development.

EPB Smartnet provides electricity to 4,300 residential and business customers in Russellville, Kentucky and the immediate vicinity, and maintains more than 100 miles of transmission line. The utility also offers internet, telephone and television services.

 

The utility is honorably led by general manager and superintendent, Dale Vowell, who has received an Advanced Certified Power Executive (AdvCPE) designation from the Tennessee Valley Public Power Association.

EPB Smartnet combined forces with the City of Russellville and Logan County to match TVA’s COVID-19 Community Care Fund dollars in 2020 to help more people pay utility bills during a financially trying time. They also provided some of the grant money to food banks.

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.

Business

EPB Smartnet partners with TVA EnergyRight® to help connect businesses and industries to the energy resources they need to thrive and help the whole community flourish. It includes a Preferred Contractors Network to find reliable pros, and incentives to offset costs. Discover all the ways TVA EnergyRight® can help businesses manage energy use and boost the bottom line.

Business

Economic Development

EPB Smartnet works with TVA Economic Development to attract companies that will bring jobs to the area and help existing businesses and industries grow in a sustainable way.

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. 

Economic Development

Education

EPB Smartnet 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 TVA retiree organization Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated 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.

TVA EnergyRight® School Uplift

Schools enrolled in TVA EnergyRight’s School Uplift program receive behavior-based strategic energy management (SEM) training that helps them integrate energy efficiency practices into their daily operations to save energy and money. Schools compete to win grants for infrastructure upgrades to reduce energy costs and improve the quality of the learning environment.

TVA EnergyRight Educational Workshops

Eye Spy Energy Kids’ Workshop

TVA EnergyRight and EPB Smartnet 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.

Energy Evolution High School Workshop

TVA EnergyRight and EPB Smartnet are working together to offer engaging, interactive workshops that empower high school students to reduce their environmental impact and lead the next wave of our planet’s energy evolution.

Working Together

Residential

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

Together, they provide resources that help customers make smart home energy decisions. From DIY energy-saving advice to reputable local contractor recommendations, TVA EnergyRight® offers ways to help improve home energy efficiency and save money on the power bill.

Community Energy - Residential