August – EPB Fiber Optics upgraded all Fi TV premium channels that were broadcast in standard definition to high definition at no additional cost to premium channel subscribers.
August - EPB announced that it will continue its Home Energy Upgrade program for an additional two years through a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Since launching as a pilot program in 2015, HEU has provided customers living in 165 limited income households with upgrades that have reduced energy usage and significantly enhanced quality of life.
August - Five Hamilton County teachers and three schools were selected to compete in EPB’s ArtSpark Goes to School pilot educational program. Working with the theme "The Beauty of Electricity," students learn how to design a work of art that will be translated into a vinyl wrap to cover five prominent downtown-area EPB utility boxes.
October - EPB celebrated the LEED Silver certification of its downtown headquarters building by sharing best practices for sustainability with a Green Business Expo for area businesses.
February – EPB begins construction of Solar Share, Chattanooga’s first community solar installation through a partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority. Solar Share is expected to generate 1.35 megawatts of solar power, which is enough to meet the average needs of about 200 homes when completed in the summer.
March – EPB partners with the Creative Discovery Museum to showcase the ways technology is transforming Chattanooga by creating an exhibit about the Smart Grid, Fiber Optics and how electricity makes it into the home as part of the Museum’s expanded Make It Space area.
April – A partnership with Green Commuter rolls out with the unveiling of EPB “Driving Change” vehicles, which are among a fleet of 20 Nissan Leafs available for rental through Chattanooga’s EV Car Share program.
June – EPB Fiber Optics launches Neighbors Helping Neighbors, a community-wide fundraising drive designed to support local non-profits. Through Neighbors Helping Neighbors, EPB engaged the community and local TV celebrities to further the mission of Make-A-Wish East Tennessee, which grants the wishes of children living with life-threatening conditions.
June - EPB introduces the myEPB app for Electric Power customers that captures real time smart grid data to manage their accounts, track energy usage and stay aware of outages and restoration efforts.
July – EPB launches Solar Share, Chattanooga’s first community solar program that lowers the barriers for Electric Power customers to participate in renewable energy with several options. Participating customers license nearly 1,000 solar panels during the first week after launch.
July – For the second consecutive year, J.D. Power names EPB as the top ranked mid-sized utility in the Southern region based on consumer satisfaction with quality and reliability of service, price, billing & payment, corporate citizenship, communications and customer service.
August – EPB teams up with the Society of Work to drive innovation and partnership by supporting shared work space at the Edney Innovation Center.
September – In partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, EPB energizes a 100kW/400kWh vanadium redox flow battery as part of the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium program to deploy and define best practices for cutting edge energy storage devices in the electric utility industry.
October – As one of the first entrepreneurs to launch a small business in Chattanooga’s revitalized M.L. King district, Andie Seller’s Bettieville on MLK became Chattanooga’s first business to participate in Solar Share as a way to support Chattanooga’s environmental stewardship.
October – Chattanooga hosted the inaugural eSports Festival, sponsored by EPB Fiber Optics, that brought attendees and players to play and stream the biggest games in esports on EPB’s community-wide fiber network with speeds up to 10-gbps (10,000mbps).
November – Fitch, a leading credit rating agency, affirmed EPB’s AA+ rating on bonds issued by the City of Chattanooga that helped EPB refund existing infrastructure bonds and reduce interest costs by nearly $20-million. Fitch noted several factors for the AA+ rating including stable financial metric and manageable capital and debt levels.
December – Following the FCC’s repeal of Net Neutrality consumer protections, EPB re-affirmed its commitment to Net Neutrality standards for its customers to enjoy equal and fair access to the Internet without data caps or throttling speed.
December – Chattanooga Peds (Pediatrics) becomes the first commercial Solar Share Leader by offsetting 100% of their facility’s electricity usage with locally generated community solar power.