NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From LED lightbulbs to EV charging stations to an 80-acre solar farm, officials with the city of Paris have made numerous investments in green energy resulting in both financial savings and community beautification.
In recognition of the concerted efforts made by Paris officials to make their community more sustainable and energy efficient, the Tennessee Municipal League presented Paris with an award for Excellence in Green Leadership. The award was presented at the TML 83rd Annual Conference held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
The city of Paris began building its sustainability portfolio with a project that transitioned 2,500 streetlights to LED bulbs. This led to the modification to several municipal buildings to have LED lighting, programmable thermostats, movement sensors for lights, and updated HVAC systems. The energy savings generated from this move has more than paid for the associated debt service as well as given the city a more modern feel. Upcoming plans include adding LED lighting to local sports fields.
Officials in Paris have also worked to improve the community’s walkability, utilizing three grants totaling more than $2.5 million to construct new sidewalks. These projects have connected four schools to a main retail thoroughfare via sidewalks and has daily use in the community.
By working with the Paris Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and TVA’s power supply flexibility program, Paris officials contracted with a solar developer to provide 5% of the community’s annual energy. The Paris Solar Farm sits on 80 acres and supplies 6.75 megawatts of power, enough to power 1,000 homes. The solar farm provides electric rate stability and will save $300,000 in power costs. Local industries will also be able to claim renewable energy certificates assisting with carbon reduction goals.
The Paris Solar Farm is also powering four Waypoints solar powered EV charging stations at the city’s Eiffel Tower Park. These are the first Rivian solar powered EV chargers to go live in Tennessee. Paris continues to work with Paris BPU and TVA to add four more fast charging EV stations to the downtown area.
By building on past sustainability successes and securing partnerships and grant funding to make projects a reality, Paris has successfully combined sustainability, cost efficiency, and beautification.
Each year the Tennessee Municipal League honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, specific outstanding programs, or department accomplishments. Award winners for 2023 include the city of Algood for Excellence in Community Development; the city of Clarksville for Excellence in Police Services; the city of Collegedale for Excellence in Public Works; the city of Harriman for Small City Progress; the city of Kingsport for Excellence in Economic Development and Revitalization; the city of La Vergne for Excellence in Police Services; the city of Lakesite for Small City Progress; the city of Morristown for Excellence in Recreation Facilities; the city of Nolensville for Excellence in Strategic Planning in Fire Service; the city of Paris for Excellence in Green Leadership; the city of Smyrna for Excellence in Governance; and the city of White House for Excellence in Parks and Recreation.
Founded in 1940 and based in Nashville, the Tennessee Municipal League serves as the voice of and advocate for Tennessee’s 345 towns and cities.
Photo: City of Paris officials with Bobby King of the Tennessee Municipal League. From left: Sam Tharpe, Vickey Roberts, Mayor Kathy Ray, King, John Etheridge, Jackie Jones and Kim Foster. (TML photo).