The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced awards for both the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program and the Low- or No-Emission Program. Selected Tennessee entities and their awarded projects include:

The National Laboratory of the Rockies recently developed a new case study, Emergency Incident Training on Alternative Fuel Vehicles Helps Keep First Responders Safe, featuring work done by the Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition (MWTCF). The case study provides an overview of the trainings, which were hosted by MWTCF and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), to equip first responders with the resources needed to safely address incidents involving alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). Alternative fuels addressed in the training included compressed natural gas, propane, hydrogen, and electricity. Learn more about the AFV safety training here.

Image courtesy of Toyota.

Toyota recently announced multiple expansions in U.S. facilities, including a $71.4 million expansion at its casting facility in Jackson. The expansion will add 33 jobs and increase production of materials for hybrid vehicles by adding three new production lines, increasing output by nearly 500,00 units annually. These expansions are estimated to be completed in 2027 and 2028.

The Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance will host multiple webinars on hydrogen production and its applications in transportation in early 2026. 

The 19th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo will be held in Nashville from March 31 to April 2, 2026. The event unites industry professionals from all sectors of the world’s interconnected biomass utilization industries: biobased power, thermal energy, fuels, and chemicals.

Organized by BBI International and produced by Biomass Magazine, this event brings current and future producers of bioenergy and biobased products together with waste generators, energy crop growers, municipal leaders, utility executives, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project developers, investors, and policy makers. 

The Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo is a celebration of the latest transportation technologies, innovations, and research that make Tennessee an emerging leader in mobility solutions. The 2026 Expo will take place on May 12, 2026, at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The Expo is attended by leaders from vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, Tennessee-based research institutions and universities, fleet operators, utilities, municipalities, state agencies, and the advanced transportation ecosystem, fostering valuable connections. With thought-provoking sessions, tech demonstrations, and networking, the expo celebrates the state’s position in automotive manufacturing and as a generator of smart mobility solutions. Registration and a detailed agenda will be released in early 2026.

The U.S. DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation recently announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for up to $134 million to enhance domestic supply chains for rare earth elements (REEs). Through this funding, U.S. DOE will support projects that demonstrate the commercial viability of recovering and refining REEs from unconventional feedstocks, including mine tailings, e-waste, and other waste materials. Additional information is available in the NOFO. Applications are due by January 20, 2026, at 4:00 PM Central.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to provide grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. The program supports multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.

Eligible applicants include states and the District of Columbia; any territory or possession of the U.S.; units of local government; public agencies or publicly chartered authorities established by one or more states;  special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function, including a port authority; federally recognized Indian Tribes or a consortium of such Indian Tribes; transit agencies; multi-state or multijurisdictional group of entities that are separately eligible.

Additional information, including a list of eligible project types, is available in the NOFO. Applications are due February 24, 2026.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced the launch of the Innovation & Research for Industry Success (IRIS) Grant Program, which aims to enhance and facilitate partnerships between private industry and the state’s leading research institutions. The grant program will encourage companies to pilot innovative technologies and pursue new discoveries within the state, which, in turn, will facilitate collaborations that highlight the strength of Tennessee’s research capabilities and foster long-term corporate investment in the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Applications for the inaugural round of IRIS funding are open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) recently released the report, Public Transit Workforce Development for Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV), which identifies and is organized around seven areas that transit agencies will need to address as they consider introducing ZEV buses and supporting technologies into their fleets. These include identifying needed ZEV skills, assessing workforce readiness, developing systematic processes for building skills, cultivating original equipment manufacturer (OEM) support, establishing training resources and capacity, building foundational electrical skills, and recruiting and retaining workforce to operate and maintain ZEVs.

TRB also recently released the report, Resilient Zero-Emission Transit Bus Fleets: A Guide. This guide provides a framework for transit agencies to update their resilience plans to operate ZEV bus fleets. It also provides a roadmap for integrating existing ZEVs into transition strategies for broader resilience planning efforts.   

Visit the TDEC Office of Energy Programs Website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/energy.

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

November 2025

October 2025

September 2025

For more information or to submit an idea for a future Monthly Transportation Edition, contact:

Audrey Jackson, Communications Officer
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-917-6683 or audrey.jackson@tn.gov

OR

Alexa Voytek, Deputy Director, OEP Programs
U.S. DOE State Energy Program / Innovation & Transportation / Communications
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
 615-613-1096 or alexa.voytek@tn.gov

OR

Mark Finlay, Senior Energy Analyst, TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-772-6011 or mark.finlay@tn.gov

Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-SE0001095.

Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.