SACE Hosts Virtual Energy Town Hall as part of Memphis Has the Power Campaign

Guest Blog | June 15, 2020 | Energy Justice, Tennessee, Utilities

This blog post was written by Brady Watson, former Civic Engagement Coordinator for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

On Tuesday, June 9th, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) hosted a Virtual Energy Town Hall, as part of our Memphis Has the Power campaign.

Watch the Recording

The event was moderated by Memphis Has the Power organizer and former Memphis City Council candidate Pearl Eva Walker; along with panelists including SACE Executive Director Dr. Stephen A. Smith; former Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) President and CEO Herman Morris (now with Friends of the Earth); and Memphis City Councilmember Dr. Jeff Warren.

The town hall focused on the integrated resource plan (IRP) process that MLGW has undertaken to develop a long-term energy plan for the city of Memphis.

The event gave an overview of the IRP process and the road ahead as Memphis leaders decide the way forward for the city’s energy future. One notable update presented at the event was that on May 29th, MLGW released a draft of the IRP, which showed what several other previous studies have also shown: MLGW has the opportunity to save $120 million or more per year if they were to break free from their current energy supplier, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and seek an alternative supply.

The draft IRP has laid out a variety of options for MLGW to consider and recommends that the MLGW Board and Memphis City Council issue a request for proposals (RFP) to get real numbers on the table from actual energy suppliers to determine exactly how much the savings could be. 

There are a number of factors and costs to be considered for MLGW and Memphians, and MLGW has begun a 30-day public comment period to allow customers to make their voices heard. After the 30-day comment period, the IRP will be made final and presented to the MLGW Board – likely sometime in August.

To learn more about what’s at stake for the City of Memphis and how you can take part in shaping Memphis’ energy future, please watch the recording of the town hall here and send in your comments with a customizable email template to MLGW during the 30-day comment period.

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