EPB customers are eligible for two native plants per home

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (October 15, 2024) – This Saturday, October 19, Free Tree ReLeaf will give away two free trees per household to EPB customers as long as supplies are available. The program, a partnership between Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center, the City of Chattanooga and EPB, helps preserve Chattanooga’s unique ecology, reduces stormwater damage and offers EPB Energy ProsSM expertise on where to plant trees to prevent power outages. 

• Where: Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center Native Plant Nursery, 400 Garden Road, Chattanooga, TN 37419 (off Cummings Highway on the west side at the base of Lookout Mountain)
• When: Beginning Saturday, October 19, until supplies run out. Hours are Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• What to bring: Be prepared with your address so staff and volunteers can verify you live in EPB’s service area.
• How to prepare: Visit epb.com/freetreereleaf to learn about available trees. Trees cannot be reserved before arrival.

“Chattanooga’s greenspace makes our city special, our health better and is central to our work to become America's first National Park City,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Free Tree ReLeaf with EPB and Reflection Riding helps preserve our environment with native species while providing the right education. Thanks to these treasured community partners we are making sustainable investments in the canopy of our community, improving quality of life for all Chattanoogans.”

Customers can select from seven 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.

• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
• Paw Paw (Asimina triloba)
• Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
• Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum)
• Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)
• Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
• White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)

“Free Tree ReLeaf is an important extension of our Native Plant Nursery to reintroduce more native species in our community with the right information residents need to help them thrive,” said Mark McKnight, President and CEO of Reflection Riding, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education and conservation. “With EPB and the City, we’re making a difference every spring and fall to help our local ecosystem thrive.”

Reincorporating native plant species provides multiple benefits:

• Reduces stormwater runoff and the risk of flooding.
• Protects water quality.
• Improves air quality because trees absorb rainwater through their roots and release moisture into the air.
• Nourishes wildlife, birds and insects like butterflies.
• Requires less maintenance and water than plants not from this area.

To help plants thrive as long as possible, EPB developed materials for residents to understand where to plant trees, so they don’t eventually grow into power infrastructure and cause outages.

“EPB’s focus on improving our electric system’s reliability begins from the ground up, beginning with the safest place to plant trees,” said EPB CEO David Wade. “We want to keep our community’s greenspace healthy, which is why Free Tree ReLeaf is an important initiative.”

As our community’s energy experts, EPB Energy Pros provide free home energy advice and resources to customers to help improve efficiency:

• EPB and TVA EnergyRight® Home Energy Rebates: Save thousands of dollars on home energy improvements, like new HVAC units, windows, water heaters, insulation, ductwork and more.
• EPB Home Energy CheckupsSM: In-person visits provide personalized recommendations about cost-effective ways to make homes more energy efficient and take full advantage of the EPB and TVA EnergyRight® Home Energy Rebates.
• Quality Contractor Network: EPB maintains a list of contractors who meet TVA standards and are trusted by EPB. Customers must use contractors on this list to qualify for EPB and TVA rebates.
• Quality Assurance Checkups: Whether customers are utilizing EnergyRight Rebates, adding solar or making other home energy upgrades, EPB Energy Pros will review the completed work independent contractors do for customers to ensure it meets their expectations.
• 30-Minute Calls with a Pro: EPB Energy Pros will address your questions and concerns about home efficiency over the phone.
• Solar and EV charger installations: EPB does not sell solar panels or electric vehicles, but Energy Pros will review quotes customers receive from contracts to help them understand the terms of the agreement before they sign, suggest best practices, work with customers during the installation of solar panels or EV chargers and provide a free, third-party verification of completed work.
• Home appliance advice: Identify energy-efficient appliances for a range of budgets.
• Visit EPB.com/energypros to view videos and tips, schedule a free Home Energy Checkup or have a 30-Minute Call with a Pro.

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.