Energy in the State of Tennessee
As a result of the TVA Act 1933, which aimed to manage flood control of the Tennessee River and promote agricultural development of the Tennessee Valley, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created. Since its creation, TVA has strived to maintain three E’s of its company: energy, environment, and economic development. In regards to energy, TVA seeks to provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable power. In regards to the environment, TVA aims to be stewards of the valley including flood control and recreation while economically investing in jobs for the region and keeping power bills low.
Throughout the Tennessee Valley, TVA acts as the producer of energy that powers the electricity used in homes, businesses, and other items in our daily lives through a series of hydroelectric dams, storage pump facilities, coal plants, and nuclear plants. This energy then goes through a system of local power companies that distribute power to the consumer. These local power companies vary throughout the region based on rural or municipal areas.
Energy Justice in Chattanooga
In a recent survey, ranking cities by their job availability and growth, Chattanooga ranked second only being bypassed by Nashville for the state of Tennessee. Growth within the city has been credited to Volkswagen, who “brought on about 1,000 employees” within the last year raising their total employee count to three thousand four hundred fifty. The Scenic City ranked forty-third nationally in regards to their job market which takes into account “employment opportunities, growth, and outlook” (Pare). Last year, the city added five thousand nine hundred fifty jobs with an employment rate growing by two and a half percent (Flessner). While Chattanooga has prospered, this prosperity has not been shared across all residents in regards to housing.
Chattanooga residents within four key neighborhoods have experienced a decrease in affordable housing. These neighborhoods-Highland Park/Ridgedale, East Chattanooga, East Lake, and Alton Park- disproportionately host households that are paying more than thirty percent of their monthly income on housing costs which includes utilities. Eighteen percent of these low-income households are paying more than fifty percent of their income on housing. To put into perspective, the average income of these communities is twenty-three thousand two hundred eighty-seven dollars with approximately eleven thousand six hundred forty-three dollars going toward housing expenses. Consequently, this means that some families in these communities are spending upward of nine hundred seventy dollars per month on housing costs. In context, the median income of Chattanooga is thirty-six thousand six hundred eighty-three dollars which makes their rent affordability at nine hundred ninety-two dollars.
Beyond affordable housing, these communities additionally face an energy burden. In the winter months, these neighborhoods use forty-three percent more energy per square foot than the average household in Chattanooga. This energy burden is exacerbated by the type of homes residents are living in. Sixty-seven percent of households in Chattanooga were built before 1980 leaving them vulnerable to leaks and older building practices, yet these homes are eligible for existing weatherization programs. Households, however, often lack the upfront capital and/or knowledge regarding upgrade programs, investments, and basic home maintenance. This is especially difficult for aging in place homeowners.
In retrospect though, homeowners only account for approximately forty percent of the lowest income zip codes in Chattanooga. The vast majority of this population consists of renters which curate a wide range of challenges. As a renter, there exists a split incentive within energy efficiency investments between the renter and the landlord. The landlord does not pay the utility bill so there is no incentive for them to invest in cost-saving actions; additionally, for absentee landlords, they lack effective mechanisms to ensure basic necessities of a home are in working order such as the mechanical systems and hot water heaters. With limited legal actions existing for tenants along with most effective programs geared toward homeowners, renters often fall to the wayside. Despite this a large number of renters require some aid regarding housing cost, with twenty-five percent of renters, three thousand two hundred thirty-four residents, severely burdened with fifty percent of their income going to housing and two thousand eight hundred thirty-two moderately burdened by paying between thirty and fifty percent of their monthly income toward housing.
(July 18, 2017)
Works Cited
Bridging the Gap: Affordable Housing and Workforce Development Strategies. Rep. Washington,
DC: National Resource Network, 2016. Print.
Flessner, Dave. “Consumers, businesses expect another year of growth in Chattanooga in 2017.”
Timesfreepress.com. Times Free Press, 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 22 June 2017.
Pare, Mike. “Chattanooga among top Tennessee cities for jobs, survey says.” Timesfreepress.com.
Times Free Press, 22 June 2017. Web. 22 June 2017.
