TDEC recently announced that 22 entities will receive $18.9 million in total grant funding to replace eligible medium- and heavy-duty vehicles with alternate-fuel (e.g., propane, natural gas, hybrid) or all-electric vehicles (EVs).

The 22 projects will involve the replacement of a total of 81 vehicles with 33 all-electric, 33 propane, 11 hybrid, and 4 compressed natural gas vehicles, and will also support the installation of associated charging infrastructure for vehicles replaced with EVs. The competitive Medium- and Heavy- Duty Vehicle Grant Program comprises the State’s fifth solicitation for projects under the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT). The purpose of the EMT is to execute environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.

Of the selected vehicle replacement projects, 10 projects will take place in former nonattainment areas for ozone and/or fine particulates (PM2.5) under National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Five projects will take place in counties recognized as economically distressed by the Appalachian Regional Commission for fiscal year 2026.

TDEC will celebrate the 40th year of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards in 2026 and invites Tennesseans to submit nominations for the upcoming honors. The awards recognize individuals, businesses, and other organizations for their commitment to preserving the state’s natural resources. The honors include 10 categories: Agriculture and Forestry; Building Green; Clean Air and Transportation Solutions; Energy and Renewable Resources; Environmental Education and Outreach; Materials Management; Natural Resources; Sustainable Performance; Water Quality; and Lifetime Achievement.

Any individual, business, organization, educational institution, or agency is eligible to be nominated, provided it is in Tennessee, and the project was fully implemented and/or finalized in the two years prior to December 31, 2025. Nominations can also be for long-term projects finalized by the year prior to the nomination deadline. All nominees must have a minimum of three consecutive years of overall environmental compliance with TDEC. Self-nominations are encouraged. View the information webinar for additional information on the nomination. Nominations will be accepted through March 31.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the path forward to revamp its Clean School Bus Program to provide school districts with increased choice and affordable options for school buses, aiming to strengthen oversight and compliance while aligning with the Trump Administration’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order.

As part of this process, EPA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek feedback from fleet operators, manufacturers, school officials, and energy producers on a broad range of fuel options that school bus sectors could use. EPA is planning a new funding opportunity under the Program that will prioritize child safety, fiscal responsibility, and reliability while also providing school districts with consumer choice.

EPA will accept comments through April 6 via the Federal eRulemaking Portal and by mail – see the RFI listing in the Federal Register for further instructions. 

Calling all Tennessee EV drivers - DriveElectricTN and TNCleanFuels, two statewide nonprofit initiatives supported by stakeholders across a diverse array of sectors, are undertaking a large-scale annual survey of 2025 plug-in electric vehicle (EV) ownership and usage across Tennessee. This survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and collects data essential to understanding how Tennessee's electric transportation landscape is changing. All data will be anonymized. Complete the survey here.

The 19th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo will be held in Nashville from March 31 - April 2. 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 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.

The Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South (TENSOS) will be held in Chattanooga on May 13-15. The three-day event will host environmental professionals seeking to exchange knowledge and share ideas. The educational program offers over 70 unique panels in nine educational breakout sessions. Mark Finlay, Senior Energy Analyst with TDEC OEP, will present on the panel Alternative Fuels in Action: Fleets and Funding, which will explore how alternative transportation fuels are being deployed across Tennessee and the Southeast, including lessons from projects like the Drive Electric Tennessee roadmap refresh, national policy perspectives from C2ES, and on-the-ground implementation challenges.

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.

Tennessee Clean Fuels, as part of its EMPOWER Workplace Charging program, is currently accepting submissions of workplace EV charging installations that have been completed within the past four years to highlight accomplishments around the state.

EMPOWER is a U.S. DOE-funded program to accelerate the adoption of workplace charging across the country, supporting forward-thinking employers through the complex process of installing chargers and recognizing them for providing this benefit to employees. The project’s goals include engaging over 2,000 workplaces nationwide, securing pledges from over 650 workplaces committed to increasing EV charging access for employees, and catalyzing the installation of over 3,5000 charging ports nationwide. Highlighted organizations across Tennessee that participated by installing workplace charging include the First Tennessee Development District, Middle Tennessee Electric, and Memphis’s Crosstown Concourse.

To submit your organization for consideration, complete the form by March 31.

The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit is available to businesses and individuals that install qualified refueling or recharging property, including electric vehicle charging equipment, in an eligible location and under the conditions of meeting certain labor and construction requirements to be eligible to claim the full incentive.

For business projects, a 6% tax credit is available per property item, up to $100,000 per item. For residential projects, a 30% tax credit is available per property item, up to $1,000 per item.

For more information and to see if you may qualify for the credit, please visit the IRS Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit webpage.

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) released The Energy Wallet report, which addresses the total household expenditures on energy, including residential electricity and gas, as well as the retail purchase of gasoline and EV charging, and how this can evolve over time based on electrification trends. The report includes an interactive map showing the 2024 values by state. For 2024, the greatest annual household energy expenditure in Tennessee was on gasoline, followed by electricity.

Atlas Public Policy and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy recently updated the sixth annual Transportation Electrification in the Southeast report state and regional two-pagers to include data from January through December 2025 for six states across the Southeast (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) across six market indicators: manufacturing investments; anticipated jobs; EV sales; charging infrastructure deployment; utility investments; and public funding.

The Tennessee factsheet notes that Tennessee maintained the top spot in the region for public funding per capita for EVs. The factsheet also notes that companies have announced nearly $14.4 billion in investments for EV and battery manufacturing in the state.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

February 2026

January 2026

December 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.