Tennessean
(7/31/2014 6:39 PM, Josh Brown)

Gov. Bill Haslam and the state’s top environmental official announced on Thursday $2.2 million in grants to help fund energy efficiency projects across the state.58 The grants were awarded for 21 different projects to municipalities and other groups across the state. “These projects reduce emissions, increase energy efficiencies and reduce taxpayer costs, and they highlight local efforts to improve the quality of life,” Haslam said in a news release.

The money comes from a settlement three years ago with the Tennessee Valley Authority over alleged Clean Air Act violations at coal-burning power plants in the region. The state is receiving $26.4 million over five years to fund clean air programs.

“We continue to look for ways to promote environmental awareness and energy efficiency within state government and within Tennessee’s communities,” Bob Martineau, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said in the release. The grants were limited to $250,000 per project. Four of the projects on the recipient list received the full amount, including the Dickson Housing Authority for a project to replace aging air conditioning and heating systems, change many single-pane windows to insulated ones and swap out 850 fluorescent bulbs with new LED bulbs.