Science Fair “STEMulates” Bright Ideas

There were 32 Shelby County schools and more than 300 projects represented at this year’s Shelby County Elementary STEMulating Science Fair. You never know what you might run across while judging some of these projects. There are actual working experiments all the way to projects that are a bit on the smelly side when it comes to specimens that have been in a Petri dish for a while. Science Fairs give kids an opportunity to showcase their hard work that has already earned them recognition at their own school, therefore, giving them an additional opportunity to submit to the overall Shelby County Science Fair.

MLGW provides community volunteers who help judge science and engineering fairs, as well as assist with art contests involving Memphis and Shelby County area students.

MLGW employees have given their time to serve as judges at the following events:

• Memphis Collegiate Middle & High School
• Shelby County Elementary STEMulating Science Fair
• Memphis-Shelby County Science & Engineering Fair

Projects are scored on creative and scientific thought, thoroughness, accuracy and display presentation. Prizes for excellence are awarded The Bright Idea Award. For the Shelby County School Science Fair, winners will take home Barnes & Noble gift certificates and a trophy at an awards presentation on March 2 at Germantown High School.

The winners from Kindergarten through second grade were class entries, while the winners from third through sixth were individuals:

Kindergarten Class Award
"What color Apple has the most seeds?"
Sycamore Elementary, Teacher: Kim Martin

First Grade Class Award
"All Shook Up" – Earthquake project
Collierville Elementary, Teacher: Rachel Salyer

Second Grade Class Award
"Peanut Power"
Collierville Elementary, Teacher: Judy Rhodes

Third Grade (Individual): Kylie Stewart
"The Mystery of the Elements"
Lucy Elementary

Fourth Grade (Individual): Matthew DeZemplen
"Wonderful Magnets and Motors"
Chimneyrock Elementary

Fifth Grade (Individual): Mary Donahoo
"Energy Challenge"
Tara Oaks Elementary

Sixth Grade (Individual): Allie Hughes
"Greener Wind Power"
Germantown Middle School

HEEG Program Draws Huge Customer Interest

The Home Energy Efficiency Grant (HEEG) program kicked off last Saturday, with MLGW accepting calls and voice mails from interested customers during a 12-hour period. Customers were instructed leave a message including their name, address and telephone number on a voice mail system. We ended up receiving 8,075 messages from customers!

Due to the limited funds and expected large demand, only the first 1,100 callers will receive an Application. Callers numbered 1,101 to 2,100 will receive a Waiting Letter, informing them that if funds become available, they will be sent an application based on their original call time. All requests will be retrieved and a program application will be mailed to callers on March 22, 2010.

The second HEEG program will be a program for landlords. You can read about it here.

May the Force Be With You

I was at a friend's house over the weekend and noticed that he had Darth Vader guarding his thermostat. Not a bad idea!


Say it with me, "Feel the power of the recommended efficiency settings. 68 in the winter; 78 in the summer."

The FinePrint

Ok, I admit it. I'm excited about this!


MLGW’s latest internal green initiative is the installation of a software called FinePrint. This green software will benefit the Division and employees by allowing us to:

1. Identify and delete excess pages and images in their documents
2. Utilize double sided printing
3. Print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper
4. Compile multiple print jobs and save them to a file to be printed at a later time

Pretty cool, huh?

Green Schools

Eight schools in the Memphis area are participating in a new pilot program offered by TVA and MLGW designed to save energy and money for the schools while enhancing the students’ understanding of energy efficiency.

During the first quarter of the Green Schools pilot program, which was launched in August 2009, energy-efficiency measures implemented at Memphis area schools resulted in a combined savings of $3,327 or 17,624 kilowatt-hours.

Also participating in Green Schools pilot program with TVA are Knoxville Utilities Board and the Johnson City Power Board. TVA and these distributors of TVA power will use results from the pilot programs to determine its potential for other schools across the Tennessee Valley.

“Students are really excited about this real-world experience where they can apply math and science skills to actually create energy audits for their schools, see where power is being wasted in the schools as well as at home and where they can conserve energy,” said Clint Richardson, Manager, Customer Relations, MLGW.

Jolyn Newton, program manager for TVA Energy Efficiency Education and Outreach, said students are learning how adjusting thermostats by just one or two degrees can save money and conserve energy. Students have formed energy patrols to remind teachers and classmates to turn off lights, power strips, computers and other equipment when not being used.

“They are turning off banks of lights in classrooms on sunny days and turning all lights off for short periods of time as part of the energy-saving measures,” Richardson said. “They are learning behavioral changes that will carry into their adult lives at home and at work. It’s amazing to see the enthusiasm the students are expressing for this hands-on learning project.”

MLGW and TVA leaders also say that the program gives students and staff at participating schools the knowledge and resources to help them become more aware of the link between energy efficiency and the environment.

The Green Schools program is offered by the national Alliance to Save Energy, based in Washington, D.C. TVA chose the Green Schools Program after researching other national programs.

Teachers in each school participated in an introductory workshop at the beginning of the school year that helped the energy patrols work together to create customized plans for saving energy in school, creating school-wide energy awareness, and taking the message home and into the local community. Throughout the year, each school received information on its monthly energy usage and support from frequent school visits by local project leaders from the Alliance to Save Energy. School teams then came together again for a midyear planning meeting in January and will participate in a celebration at the end of the school year.

At the midyear meeting student groups made presentations. Some wrote and sang songs encouraging energy efficient behavior in their school, conducted interviews for school TV channels, made audit reports, created science fair-style projects and designed energy conservation PowerPoint presentations. Representatives from the Alliance to Save Energy, MLGW and TVA participated in the meetings.

Schools across the nation have realized energy cost savings of 5 percent to 15 percent from their participation in the Green Schools program. Participating schools receive a small stipend to compensate staffers for their time planning for the program. More information about Green Schools is available here.

$5000 Phone Call

By calling 528-4393 on Saturday, February 20, City of Memphis MLGW customers could be one step closer to receiving up to $5,000 for energy efficient home improvements.

Phone lines will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. for City of Memphis customers to call to request an application to receive federal stimulus funding to make the improvements. Saturday is the only day that phone lines will be open. Callers will be sent an application to see if they meet eligibility requirements.

Requests for the program will be taken on a first come request. The goal of the program is to help reduce MLGW customers reduce their energy consumption, which is currently 42 percent higher than the U.S. average.

Qualification Criteria:
1. Must live full-time in your home and provide proof of residence.
2. Must have proof of ownership of the single-family home that can include a house, duplex, triplex, or a condominium.
3. House must be located within the City of Memphis.
4. Must meet income guidelines to ensure that assistance does not overlap with other federal energy programs.

Fire in the Hole!

Chances are the weather is so nice today that building a fire is not on your "To Do List." However, here are a few things you should know about your fireplace, even in warm weather.

Your chimney may be sucking conditioned air out of your house. Many older homes were built with fireplaces designed to burn coal, and many of them have no or inoperable dampers. If you use your fireplace and burn wood, be sure you have a properly functioning damper, and that it is closed when not in use. While giving lots of ambiance, a traditional wood burning fireplace often delivers little if any net heat to a conditioned home.

If you have traditional (vented) gas logs, you are required to have any damper in the chimney fixed in the open position. This is because traditional gas logs produce carbon monoxide, and since it is colorless and odorless, the only safe way to address this is through a permanently open damper. If you have these logs, consider retrofitting them with more modern ventless models. These units burn cleanly, deliver 100% of the heat to the indoors (if the damper is closed or chimney sealed off), and the main product of combustion is water vapor, something most of us can use more of in the low humidity indoor winter environment. Do your homework and learn to pros and cons to ventless gas logs and other devices.

J-O-B

Did you know that we list job openings on the MLGW website? You can also apply for them online. Currently we are looking for an electrician, a computer software specialist and an information systems specialist. I'll be posting individual listings on Facebook as they become available, so go ahead and become a fan if you haven't already!

Get to Know the Chairman of the Board

Darrell T. Cobbins, a member of the MLGW Board of Commissioners since March 2008, was recently named the new MLGW Board Chairman for 2010, replacing former Board Chair V. Lynn Evans.

Chairman Cobbins established Universal Commercial Real Estate, LLC in 2007, as Memphis’ first black-owned commercial real estate and community development services firm. He has served as Vice President at Commercial Advisors, LLC, a commercial real estate firm, as Senior Resource Development Officer for Memphis Regional Chamber of Commerce and as Unit Manager at Guardsmark, Inc. Cobbins is a graduate of Rhodes College and holds an MBA from the University of Memphis’ Fogelman College of Business and Economics.

This is part 1 of a 5 part interview my coworker conducted with him. See the rest here.

Energy Efficiency Improvements for Homeowners

Last week we announced that we received a $5 million dollar Home Energy-Efficiency Grant. Here are some details on how you can qualify for up to $5000 to make energy-efficient improvements on your home. To start the process you must call 528-4393 this Saturday, February 20, 2010.

Energy Efficiency Improvements for Homeowners

MLGW will perform an energy inspection; identify energy improvements; retain contractors; fund the service, repair or replacement of heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system, water heater and building envelope energy efficiency components (insulation, windows and doors); and perform a post-work inspection at no cost to selected qualified Memphis homeowners.

Participant Qualifications:

1. The named property must be located in the city of Memphis and contain a single-family residence.

2. The applicant must own the home and reside at the named property.

3. The utility account at the named property must be in the name of the applicant.

4. To avoid overlap with other Federal energy programs, total household income must be above 200% of poverty guidelines based on family size. MLGW has set maximum income values near 300% of poverty to reach customers with the greatest financial need. Click here to see the household income ranges that meet the qualifications.

5. The applicant (or representative) must attend an EnergySmart Workshop presented by MLGW prior to the start of improvements.

6. Customers who have received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) funds from the Community Services Agency (CSA) are not eligible for this program.

7. Active, full-time and part-time employees of the City of Memphis and MLGW are not eligible.

How to Apply for Assistance:

1. Customers must call a special MLGW phone number (901-528-4393) on Saturday, February 20, 2010 from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. and leave a message including their name, address and telephone number on a voice mail system. This is the only application request method allowed. Calls time stamped prior to 8:00am will not be eligible. All requests will be retrieved and a program application will be mailed to callers on March 22, 2010.

a. Due to the limited funds and expected large demand, only the first 1,000 callers will receive an Application.

b. Callers numbered 1,001 to 2,100 will receive a Waiting Letter, informing them that if funds become available, they will be sent an application based on their original call time.

2. Deadline to return applications: Completed applications will only be accepted by mail and must be postmarked on or before April 9, 2010. Failure to meet this deadline or the submission of an incomplete application will result in the denial of application.

3. Applicant Selection Process: Program participants will be based on a first- requested, first-qualified basis. All awards will be made based initially on the date and time stamp of the applicant’s call, if all program qualifications are met. All awarded applicants will be notified via a Letter of Award by May 10, 2010. The Letter of Award will include a timeframe during which you can expect work to begin. Because all applications are being taken on February 20, 2010, it will take more than two years before all projects are completed.

What to Expect Once You Are Selected:

MLGW is conducting work to better manage this multi-year program. Once you have received your Letter of Award, the process will include these steps. The timing will be based on your approval number.

1. MLGW will visit to inspect the property for energy waste, prepare a scope of work for improvements and perform a review for Historic Preservation status. Reviews for homes in identified historic districts and/or homes older than 50 years may take longer to complete.

2. Homeowner (or representative) must attend a free EnergySmart Memphis workshop between award notification and the start of contractor work.

3. Contractors will then bid on the home’s scope of work and be selected by MLGW, based on the lowest bid.

4. MLGW will contact the homeowner to schedule a time to visit the home with the selected contractor to discuss the recommended improvements.

5. The contractor will obtain materials and begin work.

6. MLGW will visit to inspect the completed work. If any deficiencies are found, MLGW will notify the contractor to return to make adjustments.

7. The contractor will invoice MLGW.

How Much Energy and Money You Will Save:

Households assisted can expect to see improvements in comfort, lower energy use and lower energy costs. Savings will vary based on the condition of the house prior to program participation, the improvements funded and homeowner’s interest in maximizing energy efficiency.

You can track your actual energy savings through the My Account section of MLGW’s website. Simply register, then login and click the Billing History link to see your electricity and natural gas usage over a 24-month billing period. This enables you to compare usage before and after the energy improvements were made. Remember to compare similar months for the most accurate information. Use the Graph options to track the impact of weather (in heating and cooling degree days) on your energy usage.

MLGW will track energy usage before and after improvements to determine the actual energy impact, in dollars, energy units and avoided emissions, compared to a baseline year.

MLGW Celebrates Anniversary of Rental Ordinance

Last year, MLGW became the first utility in the nation to seek and successfully have passed an ordinance that targeted energy efficiency in rental properties.

The ordinance sought to create and enforce minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties in Memphis, where renters comprise nearly a third of the residential sector. MLGW President Jerry Collins Jr. worked with landlords, representing more than 60,000 rental units, to fine tune the ordinance.

The program has been extremely successful and well received by the community. MLGW energy inspectors work with the landlord and tenant. The inspectors perform an initial audit to determine whether the minimum standards are met. If conditions are below standard, MLGW works with the landlord to fix the issues cited in the audit in the near future. If the issues remain unresolved, MLGW becomes an advocate for the tenant during the process and ultimately can and will take the landlord to environmental court. Renters can report low energy efficiency standards at 322-5757.

To date, MLGW has inspected more than 300 rental properties. All landlords have complied and brought their properties up to our standards.

TVA Rollercoaster Ride

TVA is taking us on a rollercoaster ride. No sooner than we communicate their fuel cost adjustment decrease for February, they increase it for March. (Source) At 1,000 kwh usage it will increase a residential bill by about $3.41.


Electric rates in the Tennessee Valley will rise next month for the first time since October 2008.

TVA announced today that its monthly fuel cost adjustment in March will push up power rates for the average residential electricity user in the Valley between $2.50 and $5.50 a month, depending upon usage levels.

“Colder than normal weather in January increased sales and TVA fuel costs, which reduced the amount of credit consumers will see compared to previous months on the fuel cost adjusted portion of their power bill,” TVA said in a statement posted on its Web site today.

For billing periods beginning March 1, TVA’s wholesale Fuel Cost Adjustment will change from the current credit of 0.861 cents per kilowatt-hour to a credit of 0.552 cents per kilowatt-hour.

TVA, which serves more than 8 million persons in seven states, adjusts its electricity rate each month to reflect changes in what it pays for coal, natural gas and purchased power.

Home Energy Efficiency Grant

City of Memphis, MLGW Launch Energy Efficiency Grant Program for Memphis Homeowners

(February 10, 2010)—Qualified Memphis homeowners could receive up to $5,000 for energy efficient home improvements under a new federal grant program announced by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton at MLGW’s Netters Business Center today.

The Home Energy Efficiency Grant (HEEG) program is a result of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or stimulus funding, which set aside $6.76 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) for the city of Memphis.

Of that $6.76 million approximately $5 million will be distributed through MLGW, largely for income-qualified residential programs in Memphis. The remaining $1.76 million will fund a renewable power generation project at the M.C. Stiles Wastewater Treatment Plant. The funds will be spent through 2012, according to the grant guidelines.

The initial HEEG program will focus on energy efficiency for homeowners and is one of four Department of Energy-approved grant initiatives that MLGW will administer. The other programs—which will be rolled out later this year—will focus on landlords, housing rehabilitation through non-profits and installing programmable thermostats in existing homes. The homeowners program is designed to help improve the energy efficiency of owner-occupied housing by conducting an initial energy audit, identifying energy improvements, making improvements at no cost to the qualified homeowner and conducting a post-work inspection.

Energy efficiency measures will include the applicable combination of replacing or repairing heating and cooling equipment, duct leakage repair or replacement, replacement or repair of water heating units and the replacement or repair of windows, doors and attic insulation.

Requests for energy-efficiency improvements for homeowners will be taken on a first request, first qualified basis on Saturday, February 20 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. A special phone number for these requests will be activated on this date.

To qualify, applicants must live full-time in their homes and provide proof of residence; must have proof of ownership of the single-family home that can include a house, duplex, triplex, or a condominium; house must be located within the City of Memphis; and must meet income guidelines to ensure that assistance does not overlap with other federal energy programs. City of Memphis and MLGW employees are not eligible.

Memphis residents can obtain information about the energy programs by calling 528-4444 or by visiting the MLGW website.

Yesterday

The best part of the Ninja Snow Attack/Snowprise? Hardly any outages. Jerry Collins, our President and CEO, said that's a testament to the reliability of our electrical system and MLGW employees.

It's hard to believe that this is what our office looked like yesterday!


And that the Juncos (a.k.a. snow birds) were flitting about.


"In terms of electric power outages, Monday was a pretty normal day. There were very few outages. Obviously snow does not impact our infrastructure like ice does," said Mr. Collins.

Baby Steps

We've been organizing our website and now offer a comprehensive page with lots of baby steps you can take to lower your energy usage and save money on your next bill. You can also listen to our three new radio spots.

TVA to lower residential utility bills

Every little bit helps, right? This was reported in yesterday's Memphis Business Journal:

TVA to lower residential utility bills

The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced a residential utility bill reduction between 50 cents and $1 starting this month.

TVA increased its fuel cost adjustment credit from 78 cents per kilowatt-hour to 86 cents per kilowatt-hour, enabling it to lower residential utility bills. The fuel cost adjustment came after a higher than anticipated hydroelectric power generation in December, reducing the TVA's need to employ more expensive resources to generate power.

Fuel cost adjustments were implemented by TVA in October 2006, and are used to help recover fluctuating fuel and purchased power costs as they occur, thus allowing TVA to match revenues to expenses. It is used to determine energy charges on customers' bills.

TVA is the nation's largest public power utility, providing power to large industries and 157 power distributors that serve approximately 9 million consumers in seven Southeast states. Memphis Light, Gas & Water is TVA's largest customer.

The Green Police

I loved last night's Green Police commercial by Audi. Looks like they have a whole series of them on YouTube. Such a great mix of information and humor.

It's Business Time

Brett and Jemaine don't have anything to do with J.D. Power, but I wanted to stress that the latest report is dealing with our commercial, not residential customers.

MLGW continues to improve in the various J.D. Power & Associates customer satisfaction surveys, as evidenced by results for the 2010 Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study announced today. MLGW climbed 41 points, while other utilities averaged an increase of 29 points, and MLGW no longer ranks last in this survey.

To help improve customer service for its business customers, MLGW has worked to enhance a number of areas, including:

• Improving service and response times to customers doing business with MLGW over the phone, by mail in person, and especially electronically.

• Expanding the options for using My Account for commercial customers.

• Expanding E-billing options for commercial customers.

• Increasing the number of transactions that commercial customers can do over the internet with MLGW.

• From an outage standpoint, not only can customers get feedback on estimated times of restoration when using our outage line 544-6500, they can view an up-to-date outage map at www.mlgw.com and read the status of an outage affecting them.

• Utilizing social media such as Twitter and Facebook in order to reach and communicate with customers.

• Increasing circulation of its monthly business newsletter, Energy Edge to nearly 6,000 customers.

Just One

One point could decide the winner of tonight's Tigers game, Friday's Grizzlies game, or even Sunday's Super Bowl. One dollar can make a difference in someone's life. Someone like Kathryn.

After working for the same employer for 10 years, Kathryn lost her job in October.

"So many people have been dependent on me for so long, and when all of a sudden the resources weren't there, I felt like I was letting everyone down," she says. "You imagine what it will be like for your family to not have utilities, and you get down on your knees a lot and ask God to help you." Kathryn's time of need led her to MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association), where she received assistance through the Plus-1 program.

The Plus-1 Program is a partnership between MIFA and MLGW that provides utilities assistance for families in financial crisis. MLGW customers are asked to add $1 or more to the cost of their utilities each month, and these donations are reserved for eligible clients of Plus-1. When a client receives assistance through Plus-1, these funds are used to pay a portion of the client's MLGW bill, while a manageable payment plan is constructed for the remaining balance.

Please consider adding a dollar or more to your utility bill each month. It could be a game changer. Sign up here.

Six More Weeks

Old Phil saw his shadow so we're in for another six weeks of winter. At least living in Memphis we can count on a few days of Spring-like weather here and there. Remember to conserve energy as much as possible to keep your bill nice and low. Sixty-eight is our recommended setting for your thermostat. If you're going to be gone for more than 4 hours, or asleep, go ahead and set it at 65 or 60.

And if you really want to save money, why not take advantage of our Spring-like weather and spend a weekend installing extra insulation in your attic or stapling a radiant barrier to the rafters? Both can make a big difference in your energy consumption.

Our Here's How videos can show you some other simple things you Weekend Warriors can do.