EPB customers are eligible for two native plants per home
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – March 21, 2024 – Beginning Saturday, March 23, Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, the City of Chattanooga and EPB will kick off Spring Free Tree ReLeaf. The program helps preserve Chattanooga’s unique ecology, reduce stormwater damage and provide EPB Energy ProsSM expertise on where to plant trees to prevent power outages. All EPB customers can select two free trees or shrubs at Reflection Riding’s Native Plant Nursery until inventory runs out.
“Free Tree ReLeaf underscores our shared goal with Reflection Riding and EPB to create a more sustainable, healthier and more vibrant community,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “The secret of Chattanooga’s success is our people; regular Chattanoogans who want to do their part to make this a better place. This program empowers those residents to preserve and enhance our natural surroundings while strengthening our electric and stormwater infrastructure.”
Customers can select from 12 native plant species. Planting guides on site and epb.com/freetreereleaf give customers information about the ideal setting for each tree or shrub, how to plant them to prevent power outages and directions for care.
“Introducing native plants at home is a cost-effective and sustainable solution to support our environment,” said Mark McKnight, President and CEO of Reflection Riding, a leading institution dedicated to environmental education and conservation. “Our Native Plant Nursery’s expertise will give customers confidence about plants that best suit their property so they can enjoy them for years to come.”
Planting native species reduces stormwater runoff and helps our local ecosystem thrive. Incorporating more trees into the landscape can reduce the risk of flooding, protect water quality, improve air quality and more because trees intercept rainfall, absorb water through their roots and release moisture into the air. Native plants best suited to our region also support the local ecosystem by nourishing wildlife, birds and insects like butterflies. They also require less maintenance and water than plants not from this area.
“Programs like Free Tree ReLeaf support our mission to enhance quality of life in our community and allow us to provide expert guidance on where to plant them to help reduce power outages,” said David Wade, CEO, EPB, which serves a 600-square-mile area including Chattanooga.
As our community’s energy experts, EPB Energy Pros provide free home energy advice and resources to customers to help improve efficiency:
The free tree program was created as a partnership between the City of Chattanooga and Reflection Riding intended to improve stormwater drainage and water quality following the Easter tornadoes in 2020. EPB began participating in fall 2022, which expanded eligibility to all EPB customers.
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About EPB
EPB is a customer-focused technology company that delivers innovative power and telecommunications solutions to the Chattanooga area in pursuit of its mission to enhance the quality of life for the community it serves. In 2010, EPB completed a 100% fiber optic network accessible to all its customers as the basis for launching America’s first community-wide Gig speed internet. The company still operates the world’s fastest community-wide internet service today at speeds up to 25 Gig. EPB also utilizes Chattanooga’s fiber optic network as the communications backbone for the most advanced and highly automated power distribution system in the United States. In 2022, EPB continued its commitment to keeping Chattanooga on the cutting edge by establishing our nation’s first commercially available quantum network—EPB Quantum Network℠ powered by Qubitekk. This effort aligns local job creation efforts with the national priority to accelerate the commercialization of quantum technology.
Since switching the lights on for its first electric customer in 1939, EPB has grown to serve nearly a half a million people across a 600-square-mile service area with cutting-edge infrastructure that integrates power distribution and telecommunications. At the same time, EPB keeps customer benefit at the center of all its efforts, earning recognition from J.D. Power as the #1 Mid-Sized Utility in the South for the last eight consecutive years based on customer satisfaction ratings. Learn more at epb.com
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