Upcoming Webinars and Workshops

Workshops

Date: Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Time: 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Central Standard Time

Location: American Snuff, 4583 Guthrie Highway, Clarksville


Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Time: 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

Location: Park Vista Hotel, 705 Cherokee Orchard Road, Gatlinburg

Registration: https://www.tnscnow.com/registration


Webinars

Date: Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Time: 1:00 p.m. Central Standard Time


Click for More Information

Upcoming Reporting Date

In order to help our office promote, recognize, and share your organization's successes, we ask that you fill out and submit your Annual Report. We’ve recently updated the Tennessee Green Star Partners reporting process to reduce the frequency of requests (from five a year to two); shift the annual reporting data cycle to cover the previous calendar year; clarify reporting requests; and streamline the reporting forms. Please find an overview of the new process below and tutorial video walking through the TGSP reporting process:


TDEC will only be requesting two reports each year.

Annual Report - Due July 15:

  • We ask that participating facilities report information to us by no later than July 15th for the previous calendar year data range of January 31st - December 31st.


Note: Please provide items that you have been working on at your facility as well as anything that you would like for use to highlight in various media outlets.

Governor Lee, Commissioner McWhorter Announces Valmont's Plan to Expand Jasper Operations


  • Infrastructure company, through its steel pole and utility structures solutions, to expand in Southeast Tennessee, investing more than $6 million in Marion County


NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and Valmont Industries, Inc. officials announced today the company will expand its Marion County operations by investing more than

$6 million to increase production of vital infrastructure.


Through the expansion, Valmont will create 80 new jobs, including highly technical positions requiring nationally recognized certifications and entry-level positions requiring workforce development training.


Valmont’s location in Jasper employs 270 Tennesseans and is an important supplier of steel poles and structures to utility and transportation markets nationwide. Through this project, the

company will be able to meet the ever-growing demand of the area in replacing aging infrastructure and building more climate resilience.

Established in 1946, Valmont has been a global leader in creating vital infrastructure and advancing agricultural productivity. Today, the company remains committed to doing more with less while driving innovation through technology. Valmont’s portfolio of products serve

infrastructure markets within lighting and transportation, utility, telecom, solar and agriculture markets through its center pivot irrigation equipment. The company also provides coatings

services to protect the life of steel structures.


Since 2020, TNECD has supported nearly 40 economic development projects in Southeast Tennessee resulting in more than 5,600 job commitments and $2.6 billion in capital investment.


QUOTES

“Tennessee’s pro-business climate, talented workforce and quality of life attract and retain companies like Valmont Industries. I thank Valmont for their commitment to bringing 80 new, high-quality jobs to Marion County and look forward to seeing families thrive as a result.” – Gov. Bill Lee


“As we continue to cultivate opportunities for economic growth and innovation across Tennessee, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of Valmont in Jasper. This company employs more than 11,000 people in 21 countries around the globe, and by choosing to expand in Marion County, it shows that the state is the premier destination for innovative industries to

thrive. We look forward to the continued partnership with Valmont as we work together to create more opportunity for Tennesseans in Marion County.” – TNECD Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter


“Valmont’s commitment extends beyond expansion; it involves investing $6 million into the future of manufacturing, into communities where we live and work, and investing into the progress of improving everyday life. By fueling the growth of our Tennessee operations, driving customer-focused innovation and nurturing workforce development, we’re not just growing our footprint; together with our valued partners, we’re building opportunities that are sustainable for generations to come.” – Bruce Bacon, senior plant manager, Valmont Industries, Inc. “Marion County’s location, value and workforce make it a leader in job growth for Tennessee. We are excited by Valmont’s decision to grow its operations in Marion County and wish them every success as they move forward.” – Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga)


“Valmont has had a tremendous impact on our community, and I am honored they recognize the benefits of doing business in Tennessee. I congratulate the company on their success and thank them for this significant investment, which will greatly benefit Marion County’s economy.” – Rep. Iris Rudder (R-Winchester)

Read More

EPA announces most energy-efficient manufacturing plants of 2023


WASHINGTON – Today, March 14, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized 103 U.S. manufacturing plants that earned the agency’s ENERGY STAR certification in 2023, a designation reserved for manufacturing plants in the top 25% of energy efficiency in their sector. Together, these plants prevented more than 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the emissions from the electricity use of more than 1.5 million American homes.


“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is breathing new life into energy efficient domestic manufacturing, and industry partners like those recognized today are leading the way,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These ENERGY STAR certified plants demonstrate that cutting the embodied carbon of our industrial products through energy efficiency doesn’t just make environmental sense, it makes economic sense.” 


The industrial sector accounts for 30% of U.S. greenhouse emissions, primarily from energy use in manufacturing plants. ENERGY STAR certified plants have reduced their energy use through a variety of energy efficiency projects and management practices. For example:

  • Marathon Petroleum Corporation’s Anacortes, Wash., refinery reduced steam trap failures by more than 20% by equipping operators with handheld trap-testing devices to instantly identify leaks. The St. Paul Park, Minn., refinery completed a three-year effort to reinforce insulation across the entire site, cutting carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions by close to 16,000 metric tons per year.
  • Nissan North America, Inc., replaced more than 20,000 light fixtures with LEDs across all U.S. manufacturing sites and conducted a combination of energy treasure hunts and third-party assessments targeting energy efficiency.

Manufacturing plants use the EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance indicators or, in the case of petroleum refineries, the Solomon Associates Energy Intensity Index scoring system, to assess their energy performance. Plants that score at least 75 out of 100 — indicating that they are more energy efficient than 75% of similar facilities nationwide — are eligible to earn ENERGY STAR certification. ENERGY STAR certification is available for 21 manufacturing sectors, from cement and steel to glass and commercial bakeries. More than 270 plants have achieved ENERGY STAR certification since 2006.


Tennessee:

  • Brown Forman’s Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow Prop., Inc., Lynchburg (distilling)*
  • Buzzi Unicem USA, Chattanooga (cement manufacturing)
  • Crown Bakeries, Nashville (commercial bread and roll baking)
  • Crown Bakeries, Dickson (commercial bread and roll baking)
  • Nissan North America, Decherd (automobile engine)
  • Nissan North America, Smyrna (automobile assembly)
  • Primient, Loudon (corn refining)



April 2024 Member Highlight

Read Highlight

Energy Security and Resilience Learning Series



The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) has developed this series to help build energy sector foundational knowledge. These user-friendly resources focus on key elements and include useful diagrams and maps, to provide the reader with important background information on a specific topic in less than 10 pages.


Refined Petroleum Products Pipelines (PDF)

Provides an overview of this critical backbone of the U.S. fuel supply chain and insights on pipeline shipping and scheduling operations.

Propane Supply Chain (PDF)

Reviews this complex system including a description of the major propane infrastructure in the U.S.

Electricity Grid Backgrounder (PDF)

Overview of the energy supply chain including generation, transmission and distribution and how to reduce power outages from threats to these processes.

Explore Summer Activities


Parks come alive during the summer. From waterfall chasing to stargazing around the campfire, there are so many ways you can experience the season at Tennessee State Parks. Start planning your one-of-a-kind adventure today!


Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Office of Sustainable Practices

(615) 253-8780

TGS.Partnership@tn.gov

Tennessee Green Star Partnership

Connect with us
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram