Oak Ridge Today

Mother receives free home energy upgrades through city, TVA program; more spots available

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

MORE2 Home Improvements Quilliams Heat Pump July 20 2016

Brittany Quilliams of Oak Ridge stands next to a new heat pump installed as part of the Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient program, which is funded by a $2.9 million Tennessee Valley Authority grant announced in September 2015. Quilliams’ home on Bunker Lane is one of the first three improved in Oak Ridge, and she shared her story with media and officials on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:15 a.m.

A single mother of two received free energy upgrades to her home through a program funded by a $2.9 million Tennessee Valley Authority grant, and more spots are available for qualified Oak Ridge residents interested in the free energy efficiency improvements.

During a ceremony at lunchtime Wednesday, Brittany Quilliams said the improvements to her home on Bunker Lane in west Oak Ridge include a heat pump, which replaced her old heating and air-conditioning system; ductwork under her house; insulation in her attic; and new vents at the back of her house. The updates were completed about a month-and-a-half ago.

Quilliams said she has noticed that her home, one of the first three to be upgraded in Oak Ridge, is cooling quicker. Though she’s only received one utility bill since the upgrades, she has noticed a change in the bill.

“I think more people should take advantage of it,” said Quilliams, referring to the energy efficiency program. “It saves me money. It’s a great program.”

The program is called Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2. There are 200 spots left in the program, which is available to residents who meet income requirements and live in homes that have electric heat and are at least 20 years old, among other qualifications. Participants can either own or rent the qualifying home, which must be within the city limits.

[Read more…]

State housing grant of $500,000 will be used to renovate more than 60 homes

Posted at
By 1 Comment

THDA Check Presentation to Oak Ridge June 8 2016 Slider

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency awarded the City of Oak Ridge a $500,000 grant on Wednesday, June 9, 2016, that will be used to renovate more than 60 single-family homes. Pictured above are THDA Executive Director Ralph M. Perrey, third from left, with other state and Oak Ridge officials. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The $500,000 state housing grant that Oak Ridge received Wednesday will be used to renovate more than 60 homes, officials said.

The HOME Program grant is from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, or THDA. It’s funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered in part by the THDA in Tennessee.

“The HOME dollars will be of good use in making these homes safe, sound, and affordable,” said Ralph M. Perrey, THDA executive director.

The city plans to use the money to renovate 63 owner-occupied, single-family homes in the Manhattan District Overlay zone. Oak Ridge created the zone, which includes so-called “legacy homes,” mostly in the center of the city, to improve the development that is carried out in its oldest neighborhoods, a press release said.

The HOME grant money will allow Oak Ridge to replace electrical wiring systems and wall insulation, and install double-paned windows for the targeted homes, which date back to the World War II era, when the city was involved in the Manhattan Project. The city’s work under the HOME grant will be carried out in conjunction with Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, a project that is performing energy retrofits for 229 homes in the designated neighborhoods, the press release said. [Read more…]

Norris Dam added to National Register of Historic Places

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TVA Norris Hydoelectric Project

TVA Norris Hydoelectric Project (Submitted photo)

 

Norris Dam is one of three Tennessee sites added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, state officials said Wednesday.

The Tennessee Historical Commission announced the addition of the three sites. Besides Norris Dam, the other two sites are Jefferson Street Historic District in Brownsville in Haywood County and Kenner Manor Historic District in Nashville.

Norris Dam is referred to as the Norris Hydroelectric Project. Built in Anderson and Campbell counties between 1933 and 1936, the Norris Hydroelectric Project was the first project for the newly established Tennessee Valley Authority, a press release said. Named after Nebraska Senator George Norris, who advocated for public power facilities, the dam and associated properties provided electricity to the rural areas of Tennessee and the surrounding states, helped with seasonal flood control, and provided power for wartime industries.

Norris Hydroelectric Project had a dramatic impact on the landscape since people were displaced when Norris Lake was flooded, recreation areas were created, and the community of Norris was built, the press release said. [Read more…]

Reminder: Kickoff meeting for home energy-saving program is today

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient, or MORE2, program will be hosting a kickoff event for Oak Ridge residents on Tuesday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room. The event is an opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about this new program for qualified, low-income residents in the community, a press release said.

Information on other energy-saving programs will also be available for those who do not qualify for the MORE2 program.

The City of Oak Ridge is kicking off the MORE2 program to perform “whole-home, deep energy retrofits” for 229 qualified residents in homes that are at least 20 years old. The project goal is to reduce electrical energy usage in all-electric homes to improve the quality of life for lower income residents and homeowners by significantly increasing the efficiency and comfort of their homes. [Read more…]

Small modular nuclear reactors not likely before mid-2020s

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

TVA-SMRs-at-NRC-Meeting-April-12-2016

The Tennessee Valley Authority plans to apply by May 12 for an early site permit that could allow small modular nuclear reactors at the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge, possibly as soon as the mid-2020s. Pictured above at a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission meeting to discuss the early site permit on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, is Dan Stout, TVA senior manager for small modular reactors. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The small modular nuclear reactors being evaluated for the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge could provide an emissions-free fuel source, but it could be a decade or so before they start operating. And that’s assuming all goes according to plan, officials said Tuesday.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is evaluating the possibility of building the small modular reactors, or SMRs, at the 1,200-acre Clinch River Site. To help prepare for the project, TVA plans to apply for what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, for the Oak Ridge project from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by May 12.

The NRC had two public meetings at Oak Ridge Associated Universities on Tuesday to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to the TVA permit application.

The early site permit application will allow the NRC to evaluate site safety, the environment, and emergency preparedness for future SMRs at the Clinch River Site. That site is in west Oak Ridge just north of the Clinch River and Interstate 40, south of Heritage Center (the former K-25 site), and between Highway 95 and Highway 58 in a bend of the Clinch River.

The review of TVA’s application for an early site permit could take about three years, and maybe longer if any groups raise legal challenges, said Scott Burnell, NRC public affairs officer. [Read more…]

Kickoff meeting for home energy-saving program is April 26

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

City of Oak Ridge Seal

The “Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient (MORE2)” Program will be hosting a kickoff event for Oak Ridge residents on Tuesday, April 26, from 4-6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Civic Center Social Room. The event is an opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about this new program for qualified, low-income residents in the community, a press release said.

Information on other energy-saving programs will also be available for those who do not qualify for the MORE2 program.

The City of Oak Ridge is kicking off the MORE2 program to perform “whole-home, deep energy retrofits” for 229 qualified residents in homes that are at least 20 years old. The project goal is to reduce electrical energy usage in all-electric homes to improve the quality of life for lower income residents and homeowners by significantly increasing the efficiency and comfort of their homes.

Attendees at this event will receive energy-saving items and informant about low- to no-expense energy-saving practices that can immediately improve energy savings in homes. [Read more…]

Small nuclear reactors on Clinch River could power several cities the size of Oak Ridge

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Clinch-River-Site-Bear-Creek-Road-Entrance-March-27-2016

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. The Bear Creek Road entrance to the Clinch River Site, where the reactors could be built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is pictured above on Sunday, March 27, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The small nuclear reactors that could be built along the Clinch River could provide enough electricity to power several cities the size of Oak Ridge. They could also be, depending upon the timing, the first commercial reactors of their type in the United States.

They’re known as small modular reactors, or SMRs. They could generate 80 to 200 megawatts each. One hundred megawatts is enough to power about 60,000 homes. Oak Ridge has about 12,000 homes.

Several companies are working on SMR designs, but so far none have been certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said Jim Hopson, public relations manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

By May 12, TVA plans to submit an application to the NRC for what is known as an early site permit to build SMRs on the Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge. Hopson likened an early site permit, or ESP, to a pre-approval for a home loan, although he said that is an oversimplification.

“It’s similar to pre-approving yourself for a loan,” Hopson said Friday. “You get the preliminaries out of the way.” [Read more…]

NRC to discuss TVA application process for small modular reactors in Oak Ridge

Posted at
By 7 Comments

TVA Clinch River Site

The Clinch River Site in west Oak Ridge, where small modular reactors could be built. (Photo courtesy TVA)

 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be in Oak Ridge in April to discuss the safety and environmental review process related to a Tennessee Valley Authority permit application for small modular reactors at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in west Oak Ridge.

TVA expects to submit what is known as an early site permit, or ESP, application by May 12.

“A key topic to be discussed is how and when the public may participate in the NRC review process, if desired,” a NRC meeting notice said. “The public is encouraged to ask questions about the NRC review process for this ESP Application.”

Two sessions are scheduled in the auditorium of the Pollard Technology Conference Center at 210 Badger Avenue in Oak Ridge. [Read more…]

Home improvements begin soon under TVA Extreme Energy Makeover

Posted at
By 1 Comment

Gary M. Gilmartin

Gary M. Gilmartin

Oak Ridge officials could start accepting applications at the end of this month for a program that will modify homes with high electrical consumption, with a goal of saving energy.

The modifications are possible under a $2.9 million grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority Extreme Energy Makeover Program. There is no local match required. TVA announced the grant award in September 2015.

Under the program, officials will use energy retrofits to reduce electrical consumption by 25 percent and save a total of 1,000 megawatt hours per year for older homes. The energy retrofits will be offered to 229 qualified residents in Oak Ridge homes that are at least 20 years old.

The targeted implementation date is April 1. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge receives $2.9 million grant from TVA for Energy Makeover

Posted at
By 43 Comments

Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The City of Oak Ridge has been selected for a $2.9 million grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority that will “undoubtedly change the lives of people living in legacy Oak Ridge homes by helping them save money on their utility bills,” officials said Friday.

This grant is part of TVA’s Extreme Energy Makeover project and will allow the start of an unprecedented revitalization of the legacy homes in the Oak Ridge community and provide assistance to those that need it the most, a press release said.

“The City of Oak Ridge is honored to be selected for participation and award for use in the Extreme Energy Makeover program, which will be used to encourage use of the legacy housing of the city when it was a ‘Secret City,’” City Manager Mark Watson said. “This investment will demonstrate our housing’s continued value for residents for years to come. As historical housing, our demonstration project has shown that electrical usage can be substantially reduced creating a ‘win-win’ for our residents, TVA, and the Oak Ridge electrical system alike. We look forward to the challenge and partnership with TVA to become a model for the entire TVA service region.” [Read more…]

EPA, TVA have final public meeting today on Kingston ash spill cleanup

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Kingston Fossil Plant Ash Spill Cleanup

Ash that spilled into the brown embayment pictured above had been removed by June 2013, and workers placed a black plastic liner over an ash containment cell in the background, preparing to close it late in 2014. The ash spilled in December 2008 when a storage cell failed at the Kingston Fossil Plant, back left. (File photo)

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Tennessee Valley Authority have their final public meeting on the cleanup of the 2008 ash spill in Kingston during a meeting this evening (Thursday, June 4).

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is also participating in the meeting on the Kingston Recovery Project.

The meeting is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 4, in the Roane County High School Auditorium. [Read more…]

Auction company to sell waterfront properties bought by TVA after Kingston ash spill

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Emory River Three Homes for Auction

Three of the Emory River homes up for auction are, from left, 504 Gunters Way, 502 Gunters Way, and 514 Emory River Road, all with direct access to Emory River. (Submitted photo)

 

KINGSTON—The Tennessee Valley Authority has retained J.P. King Auction Company to sell waterfront properties that the public utility bought during the cleanup after the December 2008 ash spill in Kingston.

The properties will be sold at a public auction at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25, on site rain or shine.

The TVA Board approved the auction company’s proposal to conduct a portfolio auction of 62 properties, up to 19 waterfront properties, four water view homes, and 39 waterfront lots, a press release said. The properties will be sold without reserve at absolute auction, meaning all properties will be sold to the highest bidders, regardless of price, the release said.

Following the 2008 Kingston ash spill, TVA committed to restoring the area to as good as or better than it was before the spill. The first two years of the recovery project required 24/7 operation of heavy equipment on land and in the Emory River. The sounds of the heavy equipment and the lights needed to support night time activities were audible and visible to nearby property owners. Therefore, TVA purchased these properties along Emory River Road, the press release said. [Read more…]