JONESBOROUGH -- BrightRidge presented a Solar School participation award of $76,776 to the Washington County Board of Education at Thursday’s board meeting, larger than the $47,079 award in 2023 as production rose at Martin Solar Farm.

“We believe distributed solar generation in partnership with high-quality producers saves money for large institutions over trying to privately operate a small solar facility behind the meter,” BrightRidge CEO Jeff Dykes said. “BrightRidge continues to evolve as the region’s premier energy service advisor, and we certainly thank the Washington County Board of Education for leading the way through participation.”

The Martin Solar Farm produces 9 MW of clean energy in partnership with Nashville-based Silicon Ranch Corp under a purchase power agreement that saves all BrightRidge Electric customers at least $690,000 annually.

Under the BrightRidge Solar School program, Washington County Schools receive savings equivalent to 11% of the annual output of the Martin Solar Farm for 30 years.

In 2023, BrightRidge also was recognized with the Investing in Our Future Award presented by the Tennessee Valley Authority for BrightRidge’s exceptional effort to support eleven local schools through TVA EnergyRight’s School Uplift program.

“Our Energy Services personnel are constantly looking for ways to partner with local schools, as a STEM education resource and providing other support services, always looking to return value to our customers,” Dykes said. “And certainly, TVA provides a strong energy partner as we collectively work to provide trusted programs as a foundation for our communities.”

ABOUT BRIGHTRIDGE

BrightRidge is a publicly owned electric utility serving 83,000 customers in Washington, Sullivan, Carter and Greene counties. It is the 10th largest local power company in the Tennessee Valley Authority service area. BrightRidge Broadband, a division of BrightRidge, offers nation-leading 10GB symmetrical fiber-to-the-premise services to more than 30,000 locations in its service area.