Green Power Switch News
Vol. 2, No. 2—Spring 2002

Main story
The Switch Is On at the Johnson City Power Board

By Angela Shrewsbury of the JCPB

At the beginning of this year, the Johnson City Power Board (JCPB) kicked off its Green Power Switch program with a “green breakfast,” followed by a “green PowerPoint presentation.” The following week, in order to increase awareness about Green Power Switch, an incentive program was put into play, and employees were encouraged to attend a “green hot dog lunch.” During the lunch, those serving not only dressed in green, but also painted “GP” on their faces. The face-painting and free lunch definitely captured employees’ attention. The incentive program theme was “The Switch Is On,” and employees could qualify to receive cash or time-off incentives based on the number of green power blocks they sold to commercial and residential customers.

In addition to rallying employees for Green Power Switch, the JCPB marketing staff has been busy spreading the word in the community. Green power has been introduced to the community via various public meetings with schools, civic clubs, and other organizations such as the Sierra Club and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. The community meetings have been well received, and media coverage has been phenomenal. An advertising campaign was also coordinated and included radio advertisements, print ads in various publications, bill inserts, messages on customers’ bills, and lobby posters. In its first two months, JCPB sold blocks to 110 residential and five commercial customers, surpassing its original signup goal. On average customers are buying 2.5 blocks of green power per person, the highest average in the Tennessee Valley.

Big Orange goes green
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville was one of the first Green Power Switch participants in the Knoxville Utilities Board service area. The university began purchasing green power in May 2000 and since then has bought 375 blocks per month. According to Terry Ledford, Assistant Director of Maintenance and Operations for the Physical Plant Department, “UT is proud to be a part of the Green Power Switch program and to support the use of environmentally friendly sources of power.”

Comments or questions?
Green Power Switch News is a quarterly newsletter produced cooperatively by the Tennessee Valley Authority, distributors of TVA power, and the environmental community to provide information about the status and growth of Green Power Switch—a renewable energy option.

We’re interested in knowing what you’d like to read in future issues of Green Power Switch News. Please write us at the address below or send an e-mail message to greenpowerswitch@tva.com. We will be happy to notify you by e-mail when future issues are published at this site. Thanks for your help and your interest!

—Gary Harris, Program Manager, Green Power Switch, HRT 11D, P. O. Box 292409, Nashville, TN 37229-2409

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