Hamilton County seeks $5 million loan for district relighting project projected to cut lighting use by 40%

Facilities staff told the Hamilton County Facilities Committee that a districtwide relighting project is poised to advance to final approval and could be funded with a $5,000,000 loan if the Energy Efficient Schools Initiative approves the full package.

Mister Witt, the district’s facilities lead, said the project has already received a positive recommendation from the technical advisory committee and will go to ESI’s full council. "After tomorrow, you know, hopefully, this week, maybe next week, we'll see if we have an official approval to do the $5,000,000 loan," Witt said during the committee meeting.

Witt framed the relighting as part of a long‑running energy management program the district has operated for more than two decades. He said the district monitors roughly 700 meters monthly and that behavior and upgrades have produced large savings; staff identified a recent $70,000 billing credit from EPB after finding a faulty meter and said cumulative energy savings have reached roughly $100,000,000 over the life of the program.

On the relighting specifically, Witt said staff project "a 40% reduction in our lighting consumption," and clarified that the 40% figure applies to lighting usage only, not total HVAC loads. He added the district’s modeling anticipates loan payments close to $500,000 annually while annual savings were projected at nearly $600,000, creating a positive cash‑flow case in staff analysis. Witt also said the state program included about $60,000 of free fixtures as part of the package.

The district’s relighting plan involves federal, state and local partners — Witt named TVA and the Energy Efficient Schools Initiative (ESI/EESI) and local utility partner EPB — and noted David Vanzant at EPB as a primary contact who has helped position the district to receive elevated incentives. The next step, Witt said, is county commission review and approval of loan documents if ESI grants final acceptance.

The committee did not vote on the loan at the meeting. Witt said staff hope to carry the loan package to the county commission in January or February and complete installation over the following summer to help the district’s next fiscal year budget.

If approved, district officials said the relighting project would be funded with the proposed loan, ESI incentives and the district’s remaining bond and capital funds; staff emphasized the project is intended to lower operating costs and offset maintenance budgets over time.

The committee adjourned after receiving the update; the lighting package’s formal county review and any commission action remain pending.