Make the Green Power Switch!
Interested in buying green power?
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with MLGW and other electric utilities, has created Green Power Switch, a green energy pricing program designed to fund new sources of electric generation. By converting the energy in the sun, wind and methane gas, TVA now generates a portion of our electricity from renewable resources. This clean, green energy gets mixed into the overall electric supply, reducing the need for traditional generation. Currently, green power accounts for far less than 1% of the electricity TVA generates but, as more customers enroll, that percentage will grow. Currently, more than 12,000 households and businesses across the Tennessee Valley participate.
While renewable energy resources are free, the facilities designed to capture their energy and generate electricity are far more expensive to construct than traditional plants. To encourage investment in these costlyfacilities, environmentally conscious customers like you can voice your support by purchasing green power for $4 per block. This cost appears as a line item on your monthly MLGW bill, in addition to your normal electric charges.
Green Power Switch Statistics as of April 30, 2012
| Customer Type | # of Customers | Blocks Purchased |
| MLGW Residential Customers | 855 | 1,894 |
| MLGW Non-residential Customers | 21 | 737 |
| Total | 876 | 2,631 |
TVA’s Green Power Providers program is now available for MLGW’s residential and general power (commercial and industrial) customers who wish to generate renewable power onsite and sell it to TVA. Green Power Providers (GPPs) retained many of the advantages of its predecessor, the Generation Partners pilot, while also offering new features to ensure the program is sustainable.
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Green Power Provider Guidelines contains program requirements, rules and incentive information. Start here
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Green Power Providers has an annual program cap, based on total project generation capacity. Check TVA’s Green Power Providers Dashboard to see how much generation availability still exists in the current calendar year.
- TVA will stop taking applications for the calendar year as of 12/1/2012. MLGW recommends submitting your application package at least four weeks prior (11/1/2012) to provide sufficient time from technical review and approval. Projects will be reviewed in the order that completed application packages are submitted.
⇒ To apply for Green Power Providers, you must complete and submit specific documents and project details for MLGW to review and approve.
Additional information:
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Federal Tax Credits are applicable for solar generation equipment installed through 2016. The credit is equal to 30% of the installed system cost.
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Neither MLGW nor TVA provides financing for renewable generation. Businesses and certain non-profits may qualify for low-interest loans through the Energy Efficiency Loan program at Pathway Lending. Visit www.pathwaylending.org for details about this program, which uses public and private funds to encourage investments in energy efficiency and renewable generation.
- For more information, visit TVA's Green Power Providers website.
Current Generation Partners pilot participants
Nearly 1,500 households, businesses and organizations participated in Green Power Providers’ predecessor, the Generation Partners pilot. TVA will offer an opportunity for these participants to gain a 10-year extension to their payment term, during which they would earn the retail rate for all generation. Currently, TVA and MLGW plan to begin sharing details about that opportunity with all Generation Partners participants in April 2013. Check back for details.
Interested in generating more than 50 kW of renewable power?
TVA has lowered the minimum size of projects for its Renewable Standard Offer to coincide with changes in the Generation Partners' pilot. The Renewable Standard Offer now accommodates renewable generation projects with capacity greater than 50 kW up to 20 MW. For details, visit TVA's website.
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