TVA now accepting applications for School Uplift Program 

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) School Uplift program is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year.   

The School Uplift program is a 12-month behavior-based energy management training program developed with the State of Tennessee’s Energy Efficient Schools Initiative. It helps public school districts make smart energy choices that improve the classroom learning environment and save money through decreased energy use. The program comes at no cost to the schools.  

Each year, NES partners with TVA EnergyRight to help bring School Uplift to approximately 100 public schools at no cost to the schools. More than $3 million is invested annually to help provide active energy management training and competitive need-based grants that allow for much-needed energy upgrades. 

Participating schools have seen a multitude of benefits, including a 10% annual energy cost reduction, average annual savings of $13,000, better ventilation, brighter classrooms, and new LED lighting, amongst other benefits. When combined with energy savings from grant-funded upgrades, this year’s participants will save an estimated 9 GWh of energy or the amount of electricity used by 1,241 homes in one year.  

So far, 225 grants have been awarded to schools across the TVA region and TVA is investing over $3 million each year in School Uplift to continue improving the educational experience for Tennessee’s next generation. NES is proud to support schools in the region through energy efficiency training and grants that reduce energy costs with School Uplift. 

To learn more about how to apply for School Uplift, our participating schools, or programming, visit https://energyright.com/business-industry/school-uplift/.