HISTORY


Agriculture

Urban agriculture is the growing of food and non-food crops in urban and suburban settings, and includes things like small-scale farming, gardening, composting, keeping bees and/or domesticated chickens, and more. Urban agriculture increases our residents’ access to fresh, healthy, and sustainable food. It also contributes to Knoxville’s economy by creating local jobs and increasing the sales of local food at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and farm stands. Additionally, urban agriculture helps to improve Knoxville neighborhoods by reducing blighted and vacant properties.


Energy Efficiency & Weatherization

Tennessee Valley Authority's residential energy rates rank among the lowest in the country, yet many communities continue to struggle with high utility bills due to aging, energy-intense homes. The Knoxville Smarter Cities Partnership was created to address this gap, helping thousands of Knoxville residents improve the comfort, quality, and affordability of their homes through energy efficiency and weatherization upgrades.


LED Streetlights

From 2017-2019, the City partnered with KUB and Siemens to transition ownership from KUB to the City and upgrade approximately 29,500 streetlights to high-efficiency LED technology. Before the upgrade, the City spent approximately $4.5 million annually on electricity, operations, and maintenance. By transferring ownership and replacing outdated high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights to LEDs, the project significantly reduced energy use, operating costs, and maintenance needs, and is on track to achieve a full return on investment in less than 10 years.


Solar America Cities

Cities, the nation’s centers of electricity consumption, are uniquely positioned to reduce global climate change, strengthen America’s energy independence, and improve air quality by converting to solar energy sources. Knoxville has great potential to lead the region in developing sustainable solar infrastructure. The area is home to a hub of clean energy research and innovation, including industry leaders such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the University of Tennessee, and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE).