KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority’s Valley Sustainable Communities program grew in 2015 with the addition of three new communities that have committed to increase their competitiveness in recruiting companies to invest in new or expanded operations in the Tennessee Valley.

Clarksville, Tenn., Fort Payne, Ala. and McNairy County, Tenn., each earned silver status in the VSC program while a fourth community, Lewisburg, Tenn., increased from silver to gold status.

Now in its third year, the VSC program is an important part of TVA’s mission of economic development, which helped attract more that 76,200 jobs and stimulated more than $7.8 billion in business investments in FY2015.

“Environmental sustainability continues to be one of the most important factors when a company chooses to invest in or relocate to a community,” said John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development.

A total of 28 communities have now attained platinum, gold or silver status in the VSC program.  Bradley noted that designation gives participating communities an advantage by showing a commitment to integrating economic development into their sustainability efforts.

A fact sheet on the Valley Sustainable Program listing all participating communities is available here.

For more information about TVA and its 82-year mission of service to the Tennessee Valley, click here.