TDEC Names Carlex Glass America, LLC as a Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award Recipient

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has named Carlex Glass America, LLC as the recipient of the 2026 Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award for Sustainable Performance. This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards which honors individuals, businesses, and other organizations for their commitment to preserving the state's natural resources.

The award for Sustainable Performance recognizes a holistic and long-term commitment to integrating environmental values into organizational decision-making and long-term planning.

Carlex Glass America, LLC was awarded for major sustainability achievements at its Nashville manufacturing facility through participation in TVA's EnergyRight Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program, completing a transformative two-year initiative that resulted in 3.4 million kilowatt hours of energy savings from October 2024 to the end of 2025. This accomplishment reflects the facility's strong commitment to reducing energy intensity, improving manufacturing efficiency, and strengthening environmental stewardship.

Carlex's SEM journey highlights strong innovation, including replacing compressed-air cooling with more efficient fan-forced solutions, and upgrading key production equipment to reduce electrical demand. Together, these improvements not only surpassed initial energy-saving targets but also revealed further opportunities for operational enhancement.

These efforts also delivered lasting environmental and community benefits, easing strain on Nashville's power grid and improving energy reliability for nearby communities. By reducing electricity demand, Carlex contributes to a more resilient regional energy system and supports broader sustainability goals across Tennessee.

There are ten categories for the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards. Other recipients include:

· Agriculture and Forestry - Cumberland River Compact

· Building Green - iFixit

· Clean Air and Transportation Solutions - Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

· Environmental Education and Outreach - Clearloop and Jackson-Madison County School System

· Energy and Renewable Resources - Memphis Light, Gas and Water

· Materials Management - Toyota Boshoku Tennessee LLC

· Natural Resources - Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful

· Pursuit of Excellence - OxyChem

· Water Quality - Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency

The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced at the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards event in September.

For more information on the recipients and the awards program, visit the Governor's Environmental Stewardship Awards website.