“Six Tennessee cooperatives are sending volunteer lineworkers and equipment to assist cooperatives in Virginia,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “With record-setting heat in the area, it is critical that power be restored as soon as possible. Like residents in the affected areas, our lineworkers face some very long and very hot days ahead of them.”

Emergency work plans were put into place on Saturday morning, June 30, and crews from Tennessee headed for Virginia later that day. This cooperation is enabled through mutual aid agreements between electric cooperatives.

Assisting Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative in Mount Crawford, Va.:

• five lineworkers from Mountain Electric Cooperative, Mountain City
• four from Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative, Madisonville
• five from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg

Assisting Central Virginia Electric Cooperative in Arrington, Va.:

• 10 lineworkers from Powell Valley Electric Cooperative, New Tazewell
• six from Plateau Electric Cooperative, Oneida

Assisting BARC Electric Cooperative in Millboro, Va.:

• 10 lineworkers from Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market

Some Tennessee cooperatives received damage from the same storm system that impacted Virginia. Holston Electric Cooperative, Mountain Electric Cooperative, Fort Loudoun Electric Cooperative and Volunteer Energy Cooperative service areas received wind-related storm damage over the weekend.

Holston Electric Cooperative and Powell Valley Electric Cooperative also had outages caused by a fire at TVA’s John Sevier generation plant. All service was restored on Friday evening. The John Sevier plant remains off-line, and TVA is requesting that northwest Tennessee residents conserve energy when possible until the plant resumes production and the high temperatures subside.

“We put our own members first. We only provide assistance to out-of-state co-ops after our own needs are met,” says Callis. “Sending crews and equipment to other states does represent a risk, but our cooperatives are always eager to help when possible.”

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade group representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Energy Division reminds Tennesseans that there is still more than $1 million remaining for energy efficient appliance rebates for consumers who have upgraded to a qualifying Energy Star^® appliance since April 22, 2010.

As of Oct. 30, 2011, ECD’s Energy Division reports that 17,491 rebates, totaling $4,131,760, have been paid to Tennesseans through the program. Tennessee consumers can still purchase and install eligible Energy Star Appliances to replace less efficient models and receive a rebate debit card on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are depleted. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 14, 2012. Tennesseans can track funds still remaining at http://teearp.efi.org.

Eligible appliances include air source heat pumps, central air conditioners, gas furnaces and room air conditioners with the Energy Star designation. A rebate of $250 is available for the air source heat pumps and central air conditioners, a rebate of $150 is available for gas furnaces, and a rebate of $40 is available for room air conditioners. Purchases made on or after April 22, 2010 are eligible for the rebate.

To qualify for the program, consumers must complete the following steps in applying for a rebate:

1. Visit www.e-rebates.org/teearp to begin the online rebate application process. Consumers who do not have access to the Internet should call 1-877-741-4304, and an application will be mailed.
2. On the website identify the qualifying appliance at the top of the page and click “Proceed” to begin an application.
3. Complete the application in its entirety, and then print, sign and date. Note: The most common issue with applications has been incomplete paperwork filed by the applicant or contractor. Please be sure that the application is fully completed, signed and dated.
4. All completed and signed applications must be mailed along with (a) a sales receipt or invoice that shows the date of purchase, cost, and equipment make and model and (b) a copy of a recent electric utility bill for the installation address to one of the addresses below.

For rebates on air source heat pumps, central air conditioners or gas furnaces, mail the signed, completed application and supporting documents to:

CSG Incentive Processing
TN Appliance Rebate Program
P.O. Box 290189
Nashville, TN 37229-0189

For rebates on room air conditioners, mail the signed, completed application and supporting documents to:

EFI Incentive Processing
TN Appliance Rebate Program
Room AC Application
P.O. Box 1248
Westborough, MA 01581-1248

Rebate applications logged through the online reservation system or postmarked by January 14, 2012 will be eligible, provided funds are still available. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the application’s postmarked date. Rebates will be distributed as a prepaid Citibank^® MasterCard^® and will take approximately 6-8 weeks to receive. Only one rebate per household will be accepted.

All rebates are processed by Conservation Services Group (CSG), a third-party rebate administrator selected by the state of Tennessee after a competitive bid process.  Questions about the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program should be directed to CSG at 1-877-741-4304.

TVA provides tax equivalent payments annually in the eight states where TVA sells electricity or owns generating plants, transmission lines, substations and other assets, and directly to 144 local governments where TVA has acquired existing power facilities.

“As part of TVA’s service-based mission outlined in the TVA Act of 1933, these payments provide revenues that help spur economic development and support stronger communities in our service area,” said TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore.

The TVA board of directors on Nov. 17 approved the final tax equivalent payment for 2011 and the estimated payments of $567 million for 2012, about a 7 percent increase over 2011.

The following payments were made to each state in fiscal year 2011:

• Alabama – $115,539,825
• Georgia – $8,553,601
• Illinois – $450,190
• Kentucky – $46,554,896
• Mississippi – $33,155,137
• North Carolina – $2,674,655
• Tennessee – $321,488,305
• Virginia – $1,218,160
• Total – $529,634,769

TVA returns 5 percent of gross power sales from the prior year in the form of tax equivalent payments. The payments compensate state and local governments that cannot levy property or sales taxes on TVA as a federal entity. State and local governments distribute the funds according to their own formulas and discretion to support a variety of initiatives, including schools, fire departments and other emergency response agencies, tourism and recreation, and human service organizations.

Since 1941, TVA has made more than $9.8 billion in tax equivalent payments, with payments in the past 10 years totaling $4.2 billion. In addition to the seven states where TVA sells power, payments are made to Illinois where TVA owns coal reserves.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for 9 million people in parts of seven southeastern states at prices below the national average. TVA, which receives no taxpayer money and makes no profits, also provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists utilities and state and local governments with economic development.