Columbia
The City of Columbia, in collaboration with Columbia Power & Water Systems, TDEC, and TVA, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the installation of two new electric vehicle (EV) fast charging stations in downtown Columbia. The chargers are located in a county-owned parking lot at the corner of East 7th Street and Woodland Street. The station is part of TDEC and TVA’s Fast Charge TN Network.

Kimball
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative also celebrated the opening of a new Fast Charge TN site at Food City in Kimball. The site connects Marion County to the Fast Charge Network, which will complement the efforts of the National Electric Highway Coalition and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which both seek to enable long-distance EV travel by placing fast chargers along interstates and major highways throughout the United States.

U.S. DOE recently announced three communities that will receive a combined $10 million in funding and technical assistance to research, model, validate, and deploy local clean energy strategies. Selected teams will work closely with experts from U.S. DOE national laboratories over two to three years through an in-depth partnership under the Clean Energy to Communities Program. Nashville Electric Service, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Middle-West Tennessee Clean Fuels, and the Urban League of Middle Tennessee will receive support to develop an integrated roadmap to achieve Nashville’s citywide goal to reduce carbon emissions 80% by 2050 while increasing resiliency and reliability for residents. TDEC OEP provided proposal support for the application.

East Tennessee Clean Fuels and Drive Electric TN recently launched the Charging Smart Program to accelerate EV adoption across Tennessee. This program is designed by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) to support communities across Tennessee in the equitable expansion of EV infrastructure. Funded by U.S. DOE, the Program provides personalized, no-cost technical assistance and a nationally recognized designation system to help local governments align their policies with national best practices for EV adoption. Interested local governments in Tennessee can learn more and express their interest in participating by filling out the interest form available here.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Accessibility Guidelines for EV Charging Stations
The U.S. Access Board recently published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to amend the accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) to specifically address the accessibility of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. This proposed rule provides specifications for the accessibility of EV charging stations, including the EV charger (including physical and communication access), EV charging space, access aisles, and accessible routes. Comments will be accepted through November 4.

Request for Information on EV Charging Infrastructure for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation recently announced a Request for Information (RFI) on EV charging technologies and infrastructure needs for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The RFI seeks input in four areas to support medium- and heavy-duty EVs:1) unique EV charger and station needs; 2) vehicle charging patterns; 3) charging technology and standardization, and 4) workforce, supply chain, and manufacturing to support charging of medium- and heavy-duty battery EVs in U.S. DOT vehicle classes four through eight, which include delivery vans, school buses, semi-tractor trucks, fire trucks, dump trucks, and tour buses. Responses will be accepted through November 12.

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit
The IRS and the U.S. Department of Treasury recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and additional guidance on the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit, section 30C. The guidance released will provide clarity on alternative fuel vehicle refueling property investments for battery-powered EV charging and other clean fuel infrastructure such as hydrogen refueling. The section 30C provision provides a tax credit for up to 30% of the cost of installing qualified alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. Comments will be accepted through November 18.

The 2024 Tennessee Bike Walk Summit will take place in Knoxville on November 14-15. The Summit facilitates collaboration on topics including measuring the economic and health benefits of walking and biking, sharing bike and pedestrian safety trends, and showcasing innovative infrastructure design. Through a series of keynote presentations, breakout sessions, and mobile workshops, the Summit is a valuable educational and networking experience. Register for the Summit here.

The Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo will return to the Music City Center in Nashville on April 2-3, 2025. Sign up here for email updates on speakers, registration details, and sponsorship opportunities.

The Drive Electric TN initiative will host the third annual Momentum Summit at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro on June 24, 2025. The Momentum Summit will focus on transportation electrification efforts, including economic and environmental benefits, infrastructure progress, and research into transportation electrification at Tennessee colleges and universities. Register for the Momentum Summit here.

The U.S. DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office announced $12 million in funding under the Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries funding opportunity to help reduce technology uncertainty and demonstrate bioenergy technologies that produce low carbon intensity biofuels and biochemicals, particularly sustainable aviation fuels, using biomass and waste resources. Eligible applicants must be domestic entities and include institutions for higher education, for-profit entities, nonprofit entities, and state and local governmental entities. Concept papers are due November 7, and full applications are due January 16, 2025.

The East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition and TDEC have opened applications for the Reducing Diesel Emissions for a Healthier Tennessee (RDE4HT) Program. The program is funded by the U.S. EPA Diesel Emissions Reductions Act (DERA) State Formula Grant, which provides funding to states to reduce diesel emissions.

Funding is available in Tennessee to replace older class 5-8 diesel vehicles with a) new alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) that run on propane, compressed natural gas (CNG), electricity, or that are hybrids, or b) new diesel vehicles. Any non-federal public or private entity that owns and operates vehicles in Tennessee for a Tennessee-based fleet or fleet domicile site may apply. Applications are due November 15.

EPA announced $2 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for the Community Change Grants Program. Funding is available for projects that deploy clean energy, reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input

There are two separate tracks available:

Eligible applicants include partnerships between two community-based non-profit organizations and partnerships between a community-based non-profit organization and a local government, institution of higher education, or federally recognized tribe. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the Grants.gov page for additional information. Applications are due November 21.

EPA recently announced the 2024 Clean School Bus Rebate Program, which anticipates awarding up to $965 million in funding. Eligible applicants can now apply to receive funding for the purchase of up to 50 zero-emission and/or clean school buses, along with charging infrastructure, eligible workforce training, consulting costs for bus deployment, and bus warranty costs. EPA will also provide additional funding per bus for ADA-compliant buses.

Eligible applicants include:

EPA is prioritizing applications that will replace buses serving high-need local education agencies and rural areas. View the detailed list of prioritized school districts here. Selectees (including tax-exempt entities) may also be eligible for tax credits, such as the Commercial Clean Vehicle tax credit, to apply to their bus and infrastructure purchases. Additional information on tax credits can be found on the EPA’s Clean School Bus Tax Credits webpage.

EPA will host informational webinars on the program through January 2025; view the list of upcoming webinars here. The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation released a recording of the webinar, Overview for Electric School Bus Operators, to provide operators, technicians, and other school bus fleet members with a fundamental understanding of electric school bus technology.  Find additional resources on acquiring electric school buses on the World Resources Institute’s Electric School Bus Initiative website and Drive Electric Tennessee’s TN Bus Electrification, Education and Planning (TN BEEP) website.

Applications are due January 9.

The State Funding Readiness Project (SFRP) provides no-cost technical assistance to jurisdictions, including local governments, for preparing and applying for funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. SFRP can help jurisdictions identify specific investment opportunities, conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise, inform budget planning, meet Justice40 requirements, develop competitive grant applications, and strengthen linkages with administering agencies. SFRP has an open, rolling intake process and considers jurisdiction requests at any time. Learn more on the SFRP website.

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) recently released the policy brief Safety First: Practices, Policies, and Requirements in the EV Sector. The policy brief presents several examples of how the EV industry complies with existing regulations designed to protect consumers, prioritizes workplace safety, and proactively incorporates innovative safety features in EVs. The brief highlights the work of private sector players throughout key phases of the EV supply chain, including battery manufacturing, vehicle design, charging infrastructure, and end-of-life disassembly.

The TennSMART Mobility Hub was created by the TennSMART consortium to help users understand grant and funding opportunities, research programs and partnerships, entrepreneurial support programs, and news and events that make Tennessee a vibrant ecosystem for smart mobility innovation. The Hub maps Tennessee’s smart mobility ecosystem, showing the many resources and opportunities available in the state.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

September 2024

August 2024

July 2024

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.