Rutherford County Leads the Way in Sustainability

From electric vehicles and batteries to solar power, residents here are already enjoying the future.

By Bill Lewis on July 12, 2023

MTE

The future of sustainable energy in Rutherford County has arrived, where residents can drive an electric car made in Smyrna and heat and cool their homes and businesses with energy from the sun without burning a single ounce of fossil fuel.

The switch to solar power is made possible by Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE), the not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative that serves Rutherford County and other locations.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are made by Nissan, which produces the popular Leaf in Smyrna. High-tech batteries for the Leaf are made by Envision AESC at its 500,000-square-foot factory next door. Envision AESC employs more than 350 people.

In La Vergne, Yazaki North America and Sumitomo manufacture wiring components for the EV industry.

Once EV batteries have completed their useful life powering vehicles, they may eventually find a second life as part of the power grid. MTE is working with partners in a project to assess that possibility. MTE also has programs to help members improve their energy efficiency.

Powering Sustainability in Rutherford County

These developments and others place Rutherford County at the forefront of the transition to energy sustainability.

“In addition to energy efficiency, we understand the need to help our members meet sustainability goals. We have several renewable energy program offerings, such as Green Switch, Cooperative Solar and Green Switch 100. We even have options for our commercial members with programs such as Green Flex, Green Invest and Green Switch 100,” says Amy Byers, marketing and public relations coordinator for MTE.

“Our Green Switch 100 program is one of the most popular because it gives our members a low-cost, month-to-month option to have 100% of their electricity usage offset by 100% solar energy generated in the Tennessee Valley,” she says.

EVs are surging in popularity, and with up to 6,000 on the road in its service area, MTE launched its EV Car Club to help operators get the most out of their advanced vehicles.

“We’ve noticed that EV owners are extremely excited about their vehicles and are eager to meet other early technology adopters. Creating a community of these EV owners allows these members to share their experiences and find help with pain points they may experience with their EVs. This could vary from how to handle concerns over limited range to how to plan for trips while utilizing public charging,” Byers says.

MTE

Investing in EVs in Rutherford County

In addition to Nissan, Volkswagen assembles its electric ID.4 in Chattanooga and General Motors manufactures the electric Cadillac Lyriq in Spring Hill. Ultium Cells is investing more than $2.5 billion in its EV battery manufacturing plant next door to GM. Ford is investing $5.6 billion in BlueOval City near Memphis, where it will build EVs.

Envision AESC’s Smyrna facility makes batteries exclusively for Nissan, but factories under construction in Kentucky and South Carolina will supply other automakers, says Ken Srebnik, director for administration in Smyrna.

Expansions could increase battery production in Smyrna. The plant has an annual capacity to produce batteries with a total of 3 GWh (gigawatt hours) of power. In the future, that could reach 12 GWh, he says. That’s enough to power a lot of EVs. Each GWh equals 1 million kilowatt hours (kWh). The 2023 Leaf has a choice of a 40 or 60 KWh battery with a range of up to 149 or 212 miles per charge.

“The key to EVs is their batteries. Envision AESC’s Smyrna plant has supplied Nissan North America batteries for the Leaf since 2012. … Technological advances have resulted in longer range and quicker charging times, which attracts more customers each year,” Srebnik says.

MTE continues to work with industry and academic partners to find ways to give EV batteries a second life.

“Collaboration between industry associations like Seven States, and higher education partners like The University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge Innovation Institute and Tennessee State University, are key to evaluating the performance of various configurations of second-life batteries to be installed here in the region. Tennessee continues to see an abundance of economic development associated with electric vehicles, and we are eager to play a role in support of this continued growth,” Byers says.