U.S. DOE recently announced that TDEC will be awarded over $5.5 million from the Domestic Automotive Manufacturing Conversion Grant Program to support upgrades to auto facilities to serve growing vehicle markets. TDEC will collaborate with industry and stakeholders to determine needs and approaches to select small- and medium-sized manufacturers for funding to bolster manufacturing capacity serving the electric, hybrid, or fuel cell vehicle supply chains and to retain jobs.

U.S. DOE recently announced that TDEC has been selected to receive over $300,000 from the Battery and Critical Mineral Recycling Program to support BatteryWiseTN, a collaborative involving state government, local governments, higher education institutions, and a diverse group of organizations and community partners seeking to increase the state’s battery recycling efforts. The project will establish consumer battery collection stations at mobile household hazardous waste events, install permanent battery collection points at select higher education institutions and local government facilities, and develop a comprehensive statewide battery safety and recycling education program. 

TDEC invites Tennesseans to submit nominations for the 2025 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards, which 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; Water Quality; Sustainable Performance; and Lifetime Achievement. Transportation Solutions is new to the Clean Air category, incorporating an award previously given through the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards. The nominee must be located in Tennessee and the project fully implemented in the two years prior to December 31, 2024, or for long-term projects, finalized in 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. Nominations will be accepted through March 14, 2025.

Sixty-five percent of Nashville voters recently approved the Choose How You Move transportation plan. The improvement program focuses on four key areas: sidewalks, signals, service, and safety. The plan aims to improve safety on Nashville's streets, offer public transportation 24/7/365, upgrade two-thirds of the city’s intersections to smart signals so drivers spend less time at red lights, and complete the WalknBike Nashville priority sidewalk network.

The EMPOWER Project is a coalition of nonprofits with EV charging experts, including TN Clean Fuels, guiding companies and organizations through the process of installing chargers at their places of work. EMPOWER has launched a nationwide campaign to recognize an EV Charging Champion, an organization that has gone above and beyond to offer EV charging access for their employees. Every organization that submits their story will be featured on the EMPOWER website, promoted on EMPOWER and TN Clean Fuels social networks, and sent a certificate for their offices. For the organization found most inspiring, EMPOWER will produce and promote a short film that tells their EV charging success story. Nominations will be accepted through December 31.

Sapphire Gas Solutions recently opened a publicly-available compressed natural gas (CNG) Public Fill Station for all vehicle classes on U.S. HWY 45 Bypass North in Trenton. The station accepts all major credit cards and Fuelman cards, offers two fill nozzle types, and is open 24/7. Find the station information here on the Alternative Fueling Station Locator.

The Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo will return to the Music City Center in Nashville on April 2-3, 2025. The Expo is a celebration of the latest transportation technologies, innovations, and research that make Tennessee an emerging leader in mobility solutions. With thought-provoking sessions, tech demonstrations, and networking, the Expo celebrates the state’s position as an automotive manufacturing giant and generator of smart mobility solutions. This year, the Expo will cover urgent topics such as the latest on EV charging, medium- and heavy-duty fleet electrification, public transportation solutions, workforce development, and infrastructure security. The Expo will include a research and technology showcase featuring innovative startups and student posters. Attendees will connect with automotive OEMs and suppliers, freight and logistics leaders, engineers, mobility service providers, leading researchers, public officials, technology developers, and more from across the advanced transportation ecosystem. Register here for the Expo; early bird pricing will be available through December 31.  

The Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo will take place April 28 – May 1, 2025 in Anaheim, CA. 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. The fleet-focused conference agenda showcases the innovations, solutions, policies, and programs driving sustainable commercial transportation. Through dynamic keynote presentations, executive panel discussions, technical workshops, and in-depth breakout sessions, attendees gain invaluable insights into the future of the industry. Additionally, at ACT Expo, the world’s leading OEMs and commercial transportation technology providers showcase the latest products, solutions, and vehicles designed to decarbonize transport and pave a road to a cleaner future. Register for the Act Expo here.

Drive Electric Tennessee will host its 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 university and college research on transportation electrification topics. Register for the Momentum Summit here.

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 and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property tax credits, 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. They have supported forty projects in twenty-five jurisdictions thus far, securing over $1.5 billion in federal funding. SFRP has an open, rolling intake process and considers jurisdiction requests at any time. Learn more on the SFRP website.

Facts About EVs
Argonne National Laboratory has published a new webpage, Facts About Electric Vehicles. The page includes a variety of information and resources, including the topics of EV owner satisfaction, fuel savings, charging, and grid benefits.

Transportation Technology Total Cost of Ownership Tool
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently launched a new version of the Transportation Technology Total Cost of Ownership (T3CO) Tool. The updated tool provides researchers, fleet owners, and operators with faster, more comprehensive insights into the life cycle costs of decarbonized commercial vehicles. The tool’s newest features give users the ability to examine vehicle purchase cost; operational costs, including energy, insurance, and maintenance; opportunity and soft costs; and vehicle residual values.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

November 2024

October 2024

September 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.