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| News and Events: Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities: Upcoming Events and Activities:
Resources and Guides:
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| Nissan Lauches Bidirectional Charging in Franklin, TN Nissan North America and vehicle-to-grid systems company Fermata Energy recently unveiled a pilot program that will use electric vehicles equipped with a bidirectional charging capability to partially power the automaker’s North American headquarters in Franklin, TN, as well as its design center in San Diego. Nissan anticipates that use of such vehicle-to-building charging systems will result in significant utility cost savings by allaying electric demand charges and smoothing the facility’s power consumption profile. Nissan hopes to ultimately leverage this bidirectional charging program to provide benefits for both vehicle owners and utility customers. By allowing vehicles to function as mobile battery packs (redirecting electricity as needed to power homes and businesses or feeding energy back into the electric grid), this program could result in lower utility bills and could support building operations in times of national disaster and/or power outages. For more information, click here.
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| Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels Hosts Coalition Meeting in Jackson On December 7, 2018, the Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels (MWTCF) Coalition held a meeting for stakeholders and coalition members at Cypress Grove Nature Park in Jackson. During the meeting, MWTCF staff discussed a number of fleet improvement and alternative fuel vehicle funding opportunities in Tennessee, including project solicitations under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust as well as the 2019 “Reducing Diesel Emissions for a Healthier Tennessee” rebate program. Featured coalition members also provided updates on alternative fuel and fleet efficiency activities across Middle and West Tennessee: - Applied Ecotech, Inc. presented on an EPA-registered gasoline and diesel fuel additive manufactured to improve fuel economy;
- Metro Nashville Department of General Services presented on its new electric vehicle employee car share program;
- Waste Pro presented on its compressed natural gas (CNG) waste truck accomplishments, as well as its recent purchase of a CNG refueling site in Memphis; and
- Weakley County Schools presented on its newly acquired and implemented propane school buses.
Meeting attendees were also able to tour the Waste Management refueling and maintenance facility nearby, where the company operates a fleet of refuse trucks powered by CNG. Contact MWTCF Coordinator Alexa Voytek at Alexa.Voytek@tn.gov or 615-532-0238 with any questions. Learn more about Tennessee Clean Fuels by visiting http://www.tncleanfuels.org.
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| SmartCharge Nashville Seeks EV Driver Participation SmartCharge Nashville is a research opportunity to help local utility companies prepare Tennessee for greater electric vehicle (EV) adoption. If you drive an EV, SmartCharge Nashville needs your help to understand the needs of current and future electric vehicle owners by gathering information on how EVs charge today. Data gathered by the SmartCharge program will inform development of infrastructure and programs that support EV utilization and maintain low cost, reliable electric service in the future. Participants will gain access to their own driving and charging data, as well as information on emissions reductions achieved by driving an EV, via an online dashboard. Participants will also receive up to $100 in compensation for their participation in the study. Enrollment is open to anyone in the Greater Nashville area who currently drives a plug-in EV and is a customer of either Nashville Electric Service (NES) or Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation (MTEMC). Enrollment is limited, so those interested are encouraged to register soon! More details can be found on the signup website at https://www.FleetCarma.com/SmartChargeNashville/. SmartCharge Nashville is a voluntary program for EV drivers in the greater Nashville area. The program is being managed by FleetCarma, a company specializing in electric vehicle data collection in partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority and local utility companies Nashville Electric Service and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation. Please contact your local power company with further questions about the program.
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| FUNDING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES
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| 2019 Funding Opens for "Reducing Diesel Emissions for a Healthier Tennessee" Rebate Program
On behalf of TDEC, the East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition (ETCleanFuels) recently released a request for proposals under the 2019 “Reducing Diesel Emissions for a Healthier Tennessee” rebate program, which is funded by the State of Tennessee’s annual allocation under the U.S. EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Program. The program is designed to reduce diesel emissions in the transportation sector. Funding from the program can cover up to 100% of the incremental cost of replacing an older diesel vehicle with a new alternative fuel vehicle (up to $25,000 per vehicle). - Fleets must operate in any Tennessee county or counties to be eligible for funding.
- Eligible alternative fuel vehicle replacements include those that run on electric, propane autogas, CNG, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The program may also fund new, non-hybrid diesel replacement projects, provided that the new diesel vehicle’s improved fuel economy reaches or exceeds 20% of the replaced vehicle.
- Replaced vehicles must be model year 2006 or older; operate on diesel fuel; and have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or greater.
- Engines from replaced vehicles must be destroyed, and proof of engine destruction must be provided to ETCleanFuels.
The program can also fund truckstop electrification (TSE) projects as well as the purchase of electric trailer refrigeration units (eTRU). Consult the program’s application manual for more information. Applications for the rebate program are due to ETCleanFuels by January 18, 2019 at 5:00 PM CT. Questions can be directed to Jonathan Overly at jonathan@etcleanfuels.org or 865-974-3625.
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| U.S. DOE Seeks Industry Partners for High Performance Computing Program The High Performance Computing for Energy Innovation (HPC4EI) Program seeks qualified industry partners to participate in short-term, collaborative projects using high performance computing (HPC) facilities at U.S. DOE’s national laboratories. The program aims to assist in the development of energy and transportation technologies and strategies that improve energy efficiency, increase productivity, enable next-generation technologies, investigate intensified processes, lower energy costs, and accelerate innovation. Eligibility for this program is limited to either entities that manufacture or develop products in the U.S. for commercial applications or the organizations that support them. Selected demonstration projects will be awarded up to $300,000 to support compute cycles and work performed by the national lab partners. The industry partner must provide a participant contribution of at least 20%. Details on specific focus areas and other program information can be found on the HPC4EI solicitation webpage. Applications must be submitted by March 4, 2019 at 11:59 pm ET.
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| U.S. DOT Launches Rural Project Initiative to Fund Transportation Infrastructure The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT’s) Build America Bureau provides loans under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) in support of a variety of transportation projects across the county. Historically, these loans have been primarily used for larger projects in more urbanized, metropolitan areas. Through the recently launched Rural Project Initiative, U.S. DOT aims to make TIFIA financing more accessible to small and rural communities. State and local governments, statewide infrastructure banks, private firms, special authorities, and transportation improvement districts may all apply for financing. Eligible surface transportation projects include: - Roads, bridges, and tunnels;
- Transit systems, including infrastructure, bus and train stations, and bus and passenger rail vehicles and facilities;
- Intermodal connectors;
- Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure;
- Freight transfer facilities;
- Sea and inland waterway ports; and
- Airports, under certain circumstances.
Project costs may range between $10-75 Million, and U.S. DOT may finance up to 49% of eligible project costs. Contact BuildAmerica@dot.gov with any questions.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| Webinar: Seattle Discusses Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Shared Mobility Hubs
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will host a webinar on December 17, 2018 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET to present its Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Roadmap for Shared Mobility Hubs (“EVSE Roadmap”). This roadmap provides guidance on developing improved public transit connections via electrically-powered shared mobility services, such as car share and ride-hail services. Shannon Walker, SDOT’s Strategic Advisor on Electric Vehicles, will explain the creation of the EVSE Roadmap and provide an overview of key learnings and best practices. Register for the webinar here.
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| The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will host its 98th Annual Meeting from January 13-17, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Early bird registration for the meeting will end on November 30. The meeting program will feature more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops, addressing topics of interest to policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. Presentations will address all modes of the transportation sector, including those topics that align with the meeting’s 2019 theme, “Transportation for a Smart, Sustainable, and Equitable Future.” Click here to learn more about the Annual Meeting.
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| NASEO 2019 Energy Policy Outlook Conference
The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) 2019 Energy Policy Outlook Conference will examine the key policies and initiatives needed to drive modernization and resilience across the nation’s energy infrastructure – grid, pipelines, buildings, and transportation. Join top state and federal energy policymakers and private sector leaders from around the country on February 5-8, 2019 in Washington, D.C. for in-depth discussions on the critical investments needed for strong, reliable, and affordable grid, transportation, and buildings systems. Click here to register and learn more about the conference.
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| Alternative Fuel Vehicle Readiness Guide for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Fleets
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| Strategies for Implementing Multimodal Transportation Networks
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