Smart Grid Chattanooga

Advocates, in the wake of storm-induced power outages, urge adoption of full smart-grid technologies for electric utilities, the TFP reports.

Chattanooga: 'Smartest City'

Chattanooga is in the running for Smartest City designation, mainly because of its 1Gig standard broadband availability. The jury votes June 3. The TFP reports. No signs, btw, that Nashville Electric Service plans to follow in EPB's footsteps.

Adesta, EPB symbiosis on fiber-optic

Adesta, owned by British-owned G4S, has gotten lots of business, thanks to Chattanooga EPB's fiber-optic broadband foray. The TFP has it.

Chattanooga: Capitalizing on G-bit speed

The Intelligent Community Forum says Chattanooga, thanks to the fiber-optic network from EPB, is one of Earth's 21 most intelligent communities. TFP has it. The TFP reported earlier on Chattanooga market competition among EPB, Comcast and AT&T. And, the TFP reported on Chattanooga's Lyndhurst Foundation's funding study of ways to capitalize on the River City's newfound technology advantage.

EPB, partner eye Smart Grid

Chattanooga-based EPB, which is plowing new ground with competitive fiber-to-the-home, cable TV and Smart Grid initiatives, is exploring a partnership with the Cleveland, Tenn., public utilities board. The TFP has it.

Comcast asks price freedom in Chattanooga

Chattanooga says that given tougher competition from EPB and other players in the Chattanooga market, Comcast should be free of pricing restrictions, and has asked Chattanooga to declare de-regulation of pricing. Comcast said that if the city doesn't do that, Comcast will appeal directly to the FCC. Chattanoogan.com has it.

Fi TV signs Hamilton County

EPB Fiber Optic's Fi TV service signed a franchise agreement with Hamilton County yesterday, according to Chattanoogan.com.

EPB may skip Signal Mtn.

Signal Mountain, adjacent Chattanooga, may be skipped by EPB, because of a dispute over possible links between EPB service offerings and the current Comcast franchise with the municipality. Chattanoogan.com reports.

EPB net funding

A federal grant should accelerate the buildout of Chattanooga EPB's fiber-optic network. The TFP reports.

EPB gets $111 million grant for Smart Grid

Chattanooga's EPB has been awarded a $111 million grant to develop the 'smart grid' by the Department of Energy, it was announced today. Chattanoogan.com.

'Smart' Chattanooga technology

An IBM sales exec based in Chattanooga cites schools, roadway traffic controls, airport security and other city infrastructure as needing upgraded information technologies to improve performance and quality of life. The TFP has it.

EPB broadband launch

EPB, the utility that's acting like a bundled-services provider, yesterday formally launched its broadband services in Chattanooga, taking on Comcast in a much contested venture. The TFP reports. EPB's release here.

EPB fiber-optic pricing

EPB, Chattanooga's electric utility, has rolled-out its pricing plan for Internet, phone and television services, and they don't undercut Comcast. Tennessee Cable Telecom. Association continues to sue EPB for improper use of proceeds from its regulated utility business to compete with cable providers. EPB's build-out will take three more years, but an urban customer base is expected to be inplace by next summer. About 100 "fioneers" are taking the service free, now. The Times Free Press reports.

EPB bests Cable

EPB, the Chattanooga-based utility that's building a regional broadband business, won another point over Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association, when the Tennessee Court of Appeals agreed with a lower-court judge that TCTA couldn't sue EPB in Davidson County. The TFP reports.

TVA smart grid advances

EPB's smart meters have been a big success with consumers in Chattanooga, as part of a TVA-led push for the smart grid. The TFP reports.

Chattanooga EPB to get Bloom Energy fuel cell pilot

[correction 0920 16 June] CEO KR Sridar, founder of Bloom Energy, recently revealed the company will place a 100-kilowatt prototype of its fuel cell at Electric Power Board (EPB) offices in Chattanooga. An earlier prototype had been at the Chattanooga-based SimCenter at UTC. The KNS' latest story examines the web of relationships that led to the decision. The KNS reported progress on the project, several weeks ago. Bloom has attracted Kleiner Perkins VC investment.

Eastate: June 2, 2009

EPB has signed a contract with Tantalus Systems Corp. (Burnaby, BC, Canada) to deploy the Tantalus Utility Network for their fiber optic Smart Grid. EPB will use TUNet for automatic meter reading, outage management and other applications.

KNS: Tennessee needs TVA and other third-party payors to nurture new Solar ventures... UT eliminates sci-tech VP slot, despite ORNL funding, as part of university cost-reduction efforts.

The best of times, the worst of times

Either way, it's Our Time to ponder: At VU Portfolio company TyraTech, execs take a paycut, putting the company's consideration of relocating to Nashville (or somewhere) into the deepfreeze, for now... CNet says Al Gore will share the spotlight with Google Ocean, next week and, okay, here's that NOAA report... Leadership Music announces Digital Summit agenda for the expanded March event... Knoxville-based Claris Networks, an IT services company, adds a Birmingham office to its growing net... A class-action lawsuit hits EPB, brought by folks who don't want their power easement used for video services... MDN's good piece on prospects for U.S. funding of EMRs... While VUMC investigators get a nice grant for collecting data via the Web... and, the State says it'll begin holding mass meetings for folks to sign-up for unemployment...

Newswrap Jan. 26

An AP story out today says Gov. Bredesen still wants repeal of the F&E tax exemption now enjoyed by family-owned non-corporate entities (FONCE), despite bipartisan opposition to a change, KNS, here (our earlier related story here). ...Memphis-area's masterIT sells IT-as-a-Utility preventive maintenance, CA, Jan. 26. ...U.S. stimulus spending for electronic medical records, smarter electrical grids and rural broadband could get $37 billion in the Obama stim package, but some observers fear IT industry's skills shortage could create bottlenecks, a prospect one executive discounts. New York Times, Jan. 25. ...Closer to home, Telemedicine expands in East TN, TFP, Jan. 22. ...A portable EHR is offered by Maryville-based Critical Access Inc., in the JCP. ...U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon says the stimulus package may include money for MTSU's $135 million new science building, TSN, Jan. 23. ...MTSU economist David Penn says creating new durable jobs will require renewed emphasis on workforce education, DNJ, Jan. 25. ...Tech2020 will convene on Wednesday to hear from Y-12 National Security Complex about doing tech-transfer partnerships. KNS, Jan. 25. ...We love our new VW plant, but Business Facilities says it was the deal second-best to Rolls-Royce's announcement in Virginia. ...ORNL's Kraken supercomputer cranks up, KNS, Jan. 23. ...East Ridge is the second city to take Chattanooga-based EPB's video service, rather than a cable competitor's, Chattanoogan.com. ...'Noogans want stimulus money for their proposed maglev rail link to Georgia, KNS, Jan. 24.

The Noog: Volkswagen opts for EPB over TVA

[Updated Jan. 17] Chattanoogan.com reports that Volkswagen has opted to have local utility EPB build its new substation, rather than TVA. The report is here. Meanwhile, an Atlanta Fed economist told a Chattanooga audience that the city's growth in IT services jobs is outpaced only by Seattle. That story's here. Update: Volkswagen of America President-CEO Stefan Jacoby will address the April 29 Spirit of Innovation Awards event in Chattanooga.