Green Power Switch News

Vol. 5, No. 1 — Winter / Spring 2005

Brighton-ing the future

Students at Brighton Middle School in West Tennessee are leading the way to a renewable-energy future by enrolling their school in Green Power Switch. In fact, the school is the first GPS customer for Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, which serves a nine-county area that includes the town of Brighton.

When science teacher Chip Gordon asked his class to come up with an environmental project, they were eager to support Green Power Switch. With help from the PTA and the Tipton County Board of Education, they earned enough money to buy green power for the spring semester. In the future a fund-raiser will be held each semester to earn money for six months of renewable energy at the school. This approach allows new students to learn about green power and participate in raising money to support it.

A permanent Green Power Switch display is planned for the school library to educate students about the program all year long. An Earth Day event will also be held to thank the students and faculty for their support of green power.

The Second Annual Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference was held in Knoxville February 18 to 20. The conference featured seminars and discussions for student organizations from colleges and universities across the Southeast. It was a great opportunity for the students to network, find out what’s happening on other campuses, learn about environmental issues, and also have fun. Over 300 people attended the conference, which included a visit to the Green Power Switch wind turbines on Buffalo Mountain.