Powering progress: Five key energy management takeaways from the TVA Industrial Summit 2025
The 2025 TVA Industrial Summit brought together hundreds of energy leaders, facility managers, engineers and sustainability professionals from across the seven-state region to explore the power of industrial energy management, incentives and strategic approaches. Here are five key takeaways you don’t want to miss.
1. Incentives are a game-changer for industrial energy management projects.
TVA EnergyRight’s energy incentive programs are helping turn “maybe someday” projects into fully funded energy upgrades. Case in point: Goodyear received over $845,000 in TVA incentives, cutting more than 11 million kWh in energy use. Incentives don’t just reduce upfront capital costs—they also accelerate payback periods, expand project scope and create competitive advantages by enabling facilities to operate more efficiently than their peers.
Pro tip: Not sure where to start? Incentive upgrades that don’t require pre-approval, such as New Construction LED Lighting and HVAC, are one of the easiest ways to begin.
2. Strategic Energy Management (SEM) is the new business advantage.
Energy isn’t just a line item — it’s a resource you can manage. SEM helps businesses build a culture of continuous improvement by integrating energy-saving practices into everyday operations. Facilities that implement SEM see, on average, a 5-15% energy cost savings, along with better asset utilization, reduced downtime and increased employee engagement.
Case study: A Tennessee-based food processor saved nearly $60,000 by reducing refrigeration discharge, upgrading lighting, fixing compressed air leaks and launching a “Shut It Off” campaign.
3. Demand response = revenue opportunity.
Industrial facilities aren’t just reducing costs—they’re earning credits by participating in TVA’s Demand Response programs. With load growth accelerating and extreme weather events increasing, programs like PowerFlex reward facilities for curtailing energy use during peak demand.
Facilities with 5 MW of interruptible load could earn up to $568,200 in annual capacity credits and $48,000 in energy credits*. That’s real money back in your budget.
*Using current pricing for E5+C30 enrollment option. These credits reflect enrollment in 96 hours of capacity per TVA fiscal year. All credits listed are estimates for illustrative purposes only. Actual credit values will vary according to enrollment options selected.
4. Energy assessments make it easy to get started.
If you don’t have a dedicated energy team or you’re unsure where your biggest savings lie, TVA offers free energy assessments to help identify lighting, HVAC, refrigeration, compressed air and process improvement opportunities. The best part? TVA’s Preferred Partners Network can handle the work, from installation to incentive applications.
“The TVA incentive program provides us the opportunity to reduce our overall energy costs and identify future opportunities to control consumption.”
-Pat Jodon, Goodyear Plant Manager
5. Partnerships drive long-term success.
Whether you’re working with a TVA EnergyRight Energy Expert or connecting through your local power company, collaboration is at the heart of the industrial energy efficiency transformation. Events like the TVA Industrial Summit give leaders space to share strategies, troubleshoot challenges, and build partnerships that lead to real results.
Facilities that have completed SEM initiatives report millions in kWh savings and hundreds of thousands in energy cost reductions. One [state-based] furniture manufacturer saved over $600,000 by identifying air leaks, installing a capacitor bank, upgrading to LED lighting and replacing CO2 lasers.
Ready to take the next step?
TVA EnergyRight is here to help you unlock savings and performance in your facility. Whether it starts with an energy assessment or a strategic partnership, the resources are ready, and the support is built for you. Reach out to your local power company representative or click the link below to connect with a TVA Energy Expert today.
