Nearly five years after the release of its Roadmap for Electric Vehicles in Tennessee, Drive Electric TN (DET) announced the kickoff of a "Roadmap Refresh" initiative at the recent DET Momentum Summit. The Roadmap Refresh will allow stakeholders to contribute to revised goals, prioritized “Opportunity Areas," and associated initiatives. To kickstart this process, DET is seeking input from stakeholders on the most important aspects of transportation electrification that should be prioritized and included in a second edition of the EV Roadmap. Complete the DET Roadmap Refresh Survey here. Responses are due by June 10.

The City of Springfield, TDEC, and TVA recently held a ribbon-cutting for a new EV fast charging station near Springfield City Hall. The station, which features two chargers with both CCS and CHAdeMO plugs, is the 18th site to go live as part of TDEC and TVA’s Fast Charge TN Network.

The Connect Downtown project team, a partnership between the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), WeGo Public Transit, TDOT, and the Nashville Downtown Partnership, recently released the Connect Downtown Action Plan final recommendations for comprehensive multimodal improvements in downtown Nashville. Connect Downtown is a 10-year action plan with projects and programs to be delivered in three phases. The plan focuses on high-level “big moves,” which include managing congestion, improving safety, moving more people, creating complete networks, and maximizing the curb to improve mobility in the downtown area.

Automotive manufacturer Avancez recently announced that it will invest $54 million to expand its assembly operations and locate a new facility at Ford Motor Company’s BlueOval City Supplier Park in Haywood County. The new facility will position the company closer to key automotive customers across the Southeast and create approximately 500 new jobs.

The U.S. DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office, Vehicle Technologies Office, and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office have jointly released a Request for Information (RFI) on progression to net-zero emission propulsion technologies for the off-road sector. Given that the off-road transportation sector generates 10% of U.S. transportation greenhouse gas emissions, the aim of the RFI is to understand the off-road sector alternative propulsion technology preferences, technologies that seem most promising, and the key barriers to achieving the transition to net-zero emissions. Responses are due by June 7 at 5:00 PM Eastern and must be submitted as attachments to CleanMachines@ee.doe.gov.

The U.S. DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) released a Request for Information (RFI) on clean energy supply chain data and analysis methods. The RFI covers a broad range of technology areas, including EVs and batteries, biofuels, hydrogen, and fuel cell technologies, and is an opportunity for industry and other stakeholders to highlight specific supply chain gaps, vulnerabilities, and/or challenges impacting various components of clean energy technologies. MESC will use the responses to create a heatmap to assess investment opportunities across clean energy supply chains. Responses are due by June 10 at 5:00 PM Eastern and can be submitted through the online portals on the MESC website or as attachments to MESCanalysis@hq.doe.gov.

U.S. DOE’s EVGrid Assist initiative will host a webinar, Multi-State Transportation Electrification Study: Preparing the Grid for Light-, Medium- and Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicles, on May 22 at 3:00 PM Eastern. The webinar will highlight findings from a new Multi-State Transportation Electrification Impact Study to guide electric distribution grid planning for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Representatives from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. DOE, and Kevala will share updates.

Register for the webinar here.

EPA and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation will host a series of webinars covering technical assistance topics related to clean school buses, supporting the EPA Clean School Bus Program. Register here for any webinar in the series.

The Company Lab is hosting the 2024 CO.MOBILITY Summit May 20-22 in Chattanooga. The event will highlight innovative startups, industry experts, and legislators who are changing the way we move and consume energy. The event will include networking and interactive events, such as keynotes, fireside chats, and panel discussions. Speakers include representatives from TVA, the University of Tennessee Knoxville and Chattanooga, Vanderbilt University, WhisperAERO, FedEx, genera8tor, and bestselling author of The Lean Startup Eric Ries.

View the agenda here and register for the CO.MOBILITY Summit here. Use the code ENERGY1 to receive $50 off admission. 

The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo will take place May 20–23 in Las Vegas, NV. The Expo unites the transportation sector in an effort to reduce emissions from goods movement, the service industry, and passenger transportation while also driving economic sustainability. This annual event offers attendees access to the latest technologies, services, and vehicles driving the transition to low- and zero-emission transportation solutions.

The 2024 agenda will feature case studies from fleets that have deployed low- and zero-emission vehicles across applications; the financial incentives available to reduce total cost of ownership for advanced clean vehicles; climate and environmental policy developments being driven by federal, state, and local agency commitments; and technology advancements taking place with battery technology, charging infrastructure, biofuels, hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles. 

View the agenda here and register here.

The 2024 Forth Roadmap Conference, an annual event that convenes leaders in the electric transportation space, will take place September 24-26 in Detroit, MI. The conference will allow attendees to forge relationships and gain valuable insights in a highly interactive format from industry and community leaders, including utilities, local governments, vehicle original equipment manufacturers, charging providers, technology startups, public interest groups, and communities.

View the agenda here and register here for the 2024 Forth Roadmap Conference.

The CO.LAB Sustainable Mobility Accelerator, powered by gener8tor, is a 12-week program supporting startups at the forefront of sustainable mobility. Participants can test pilot projects through access to an urban testbed for connected and autonomous vehicles, have the opportunity to work with a quantum network, and have access to a network of industry experts, technologists, and business domain experts. Industries currently supported include EVs and EV infrastructure, smart traffic solutions, and autonomous vehicles and infrastructure. Applications are due May 26.

Under the Clean Ports Program, EPA announced over $2.7 billion for the Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to fund zero-emission port equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions (criteria pollutants, air toxics, and/or greenhouse gases) at U.S. ports.

Eligible uses of funding include EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure, human-operated and -maintained zero-emission cargo handling equipment, harbor craft and other vessels, and a number of other technology investments. The funding can be used for projects at water ports (coastal and inland) as well as projects at facilities where goods are transferred between rail cars and trucks (dry ports). 

Eligible applicants:

Additional information is available on the Clean Ports Program website and in the notice of funding opportunity. Applications are due May 28.

U.S. DOE recently announced $180 million in funding available through the 2024 Renew America’s Schools Prize for schools engaging in strategic partnerships to build capacity and implement energy upgrades at K-12 schools, lowering energy use and costs and improving indoor air quality. Competitive proposals will implement energy assessments and building improvement projects across a portfolio of 10 or more school facilities, which may be composed of school facilities from one or more districts.

Awards will focus on schools that serve disadvantaged communities, including those with a high percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, those that qualify as rural, and those identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). Eligible improvements include alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure (including EVs).

Additional information is available on the Renew America’s Schools page and in the Fact Sheet, and a Teaming List is available on the HeroX Platform. U.S. DOE will host an office hour on May 29 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Applications are due June 13.

ATIIP projects will help improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of active transportation networks and communities; improve connectivity between active transportation modes and public transportation; enhance the resiliency of on- and off-road active transportation infrastructure; help protect the environment; and improve quality of life in disadvantaged communities through the delivery of connected active transportation networks and expanded mobility opportunities.

Eligible applicants include states, multistate groups of governments, local or regional governmental organizations (including a metropolitan planning organization or regional planning organization or council), and a multicounty special district.

Additional information is available on the U.S. DOT’s ATIIP page and in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Applications are due June 17.

The U.S. DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Vehicle Technologies Office recently announced up to $17.5 million in funding to develop cost-effective strategies for communities to sustainably manage and recover potential clean energy sources from their waste stream through the WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-Uses funding opportunity announcement. The funding opportunity will support municipalities and transit authorities with waste-to-energy solutions for converting organic waste into feedstocks for various clean transportation fuel products that can benefit local energy economies. 

The funding opportunity seeks a phased approach through two topic areas:

Eligible applicants include local, tribal, and intrastate government entities and instrumentalities, states, nonprofit organizations, and transit authorities. BETO has also compiled a teaming partners list to encourage collaboration and facilitate the formation of project teams.

Additional information is available on the WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-Uses website and in the funding opportunity announcement. Concept papers are due June 19, and full applications are due August 14.

EPA recently announced up to $932 million in funding for heavy-duty vehicle replacement projects under the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program. Funding will support the adoption and deployment of eligible Class 6 and 7 zero-emission vehicles that will displace conventional vehicles while also funding zero-emission vehicle fueling infrastructure and workforce development and training.

Two separate sub-program competitions have been created under the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program:

Eligible applicants include states, municipalities (including school districts), Indian Tribes, territories, and nonprofit school transportation associations. Additional information is available in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and on the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program page. Applications are due July 25.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced the Clean Bus Planning Awards Program (CBPA), funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (Joint Office). The CBPA program reduces barriers to zero-emission bus deployment by providing school and transit bus fleets with free technical assistance to develop comprehensive and customized fleet electrification transition plans. Fleets also have the option to receive free deployment assistance from NREL upon completion of their plan. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through September 30.

The Joint Office 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.

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.

The U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) has created a page dedicated to Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure. The page provides information on federal tax credits available until 2032 to consumers, fleets, businesses, and tax-exempt entities investing in new, used, and commercial clean vehicles, including EVs, plug-in hybrid EVs, fuel cell EVs, and EV charging infrastructure. The page includes content to help consumers learn about tax credits for acquiring new or used EVs and for dealers to register with the IRS.

A list of qualifying light-duty clean vehicles is available on FuelEconomy.gov. Additionally, the Local Fuel Savings tool lets users compare the cost of driving a battery electric or plug-in electric hybrid vehicle to a conventional vehicle where they live. Lastly, the Energy Savings Hub shows how consumers can save money when upgrading their home and vehicle, including tax credits for new or used EVs.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

April 2024

March 2024

February 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 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-EE0009487

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.