Applications Open for Fast Charge TN Network Round 2 Grants
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Upcoming Funding Opportunities: |
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| | Tennessee Entities Awarded Funding from Federal Transit Administration |
- The University of Tennessee, which will receive over $9.8 million from the Low- or No-Emission Program to support the purchase of new hybrid buses.
- The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (WeGo), which will receive over $10 million from the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program to replace older buses that have reached their useful life.
- Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA), which will receive over $750,000 from the Low- or No-Emission Program to support the purchase of new propane paratransit vehicles to replace older vehicles and for service expansion needs.
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| Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels Featured in Clean Cities and Communities Case Study on Alternative Fuel Vehicle Safety |
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Image courtesy of Toyota.
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| Toyota Announces Expansion in Jackson |
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.
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| Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance Webinars |
The Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance will host multiple webinars on hydrogen production and its applications in transportation in early 2026.
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- Hydrogen Powers Public Transportation, January 22, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central.
The webinar will address how hydrogen is powering public transportation, making it more reliable and efficient. -
Marine-Based Hydrogen Production for a Resilient Clean Energy Future, February 19, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central.
This webinar will provide an overview of how hydrogen technologies are unlocking offshore renewables and hydrogeneration to power the next wave of U.S. clean H2 innovation. -
Hydrogen Fuels Long-haul Trucking, March 19, 2026, at 10:00 AM Central.
This webinar will explore how hydrogen is emerging as an important clean fuel for long-haul trucking.
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| International Biomass Conference and Expo |
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.
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| Save the Date: Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo |
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.
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UPCOMING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES |
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| Funding to Strengthen Rare Earth Element Supply Chains |
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.
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| Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development Grant Program |
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.
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| Innovation & Research for Industry Success Grant Program |
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.
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| Reports on Public Transit Fleet Resilience and Workforce Development for Zero-Emission Vehicles |
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.
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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
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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.
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