Image courtesy of TVA.

The Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Fast Charge Network,  which includes the Fast Charge TN Network, has delivered over 100,000 charging sessions for electric vehicles (EVs) as of October 2025. The network, which spans Tennessee and parts of neighboring states including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi, features 64 active sites, including 11 sites funded through the State of Tennessee’s allocation under the Volkswagen Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust. These charging sessions are estimated to have supported approximately 10 million EV miles driven across the Tennessee Valley. 

Image courtesy of Cleveland Utilities.

Image courtesy of Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative.

Recently, in October, Cleveland Utilities, along with TDEC, TVA, and Seven States Power Corporation (Seven States), celebrated the opening of a new Fast Charge TN Network station with six DC fast chargers at its office in Cleveland, TN, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Additionally, in November, TDEC, TVA, and Seven States also joined Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative for a similar event to commemorate the opening of another Fast Charge TN Network site in Dunlap, TN. Ideally situated in the downtown area next to the Chamber of Commerce, and surrounded by local shops and restaurants, this location allows visitors from near and far to explore the charm of Dunlap while charging.

These openings mark the latest sites in Tennessee under the Fast Charge TN Network Program, bringing Tennessee closer to achieving a network of fast-charging stations positioned at least every 50 miles along its interstates and major highways.

Image courtesy of Seven States.

Seven States Power Corporation, in partnership with Sevier County Electric System and Dollywood, recently announced the official unveiling of seven new EV charging stations, capable of charging up to 14 vehicles simultaneously, at Dollywood, a Sevier County theme park destination. The charging stations are available for guests in the Preferred Parking Lot of Dollywood Theme Park.

Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is offering free public transportation for riders for 90 days, beginning on November 16. The pilot project, a partnership between the Memphis City Council and MATA, supports the exploration of city transportation options to examine the impact of free fares on ridership, community connection, and access to opportunity. MATA buses, trolleys, and MATAplus vehicles will be free of charge through mid-February.

Technology-Enhanced Advanced Mobility in Tennessee (TEAM TN) recently announced a new partnership with AI Tennessee, a statewide initiative to position Tennessee as a leader in artificial intelligence. The partnership aims to strengthen Tennessee’s innovation economy and prepare its workforce for emerging technologies. TEAM TN will continue as a standing network supporting innovation and workforce initiatives across multiple sectors, from advanced mobility to artificial intelligence and beyond.

In October, Tritium, a global provider of EV charging solutions, welcomed visitors to its Lebanon facility for a special EVolution plant tour. During the visit, TDEC OEP staff had the opportunity to learn firsthand how Tritium’s charging stations are built, from an empty cabinet at the start of the production line to the final packaging and shipment stage. Tritium has deployed more than 21,000 EV chargers across 50+ countries and, in addition to its Tennessee operations, has facilities in Australia and the U.K.

This November marks the 5th annual No Trash November, a statewide initiative by the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign. The goal of this initiative is to remove 75,000 pounds of litter from our roads, parks, and waterways, and Tennessee residents can get involved by joining a local cleanup or organizing their own. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, and youth groups can even earn exclusive patches. Keep Tennessee Beautiful affiliates, litter grantees, Adopt-A-Highway participants, River Groups, or Youth Groups that collect the most litter will compete for the No Trash November Trophy. 

Track progress in real time with the Trash Tracker and share your efforts using  #NoTrashNovember and @NobodyTrashesTN on social media.    

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. 

The U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy recently announced up to $275 million available under the Mines and Metals Expansion Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to address the potential for industries to recover critical materials. Funding will support the piloting of promising future separation and recovery technologies directly at industrial sites.

The NOFO includes two focus areas for the design, construction, and operation of large pilot-scale facilities to produce critical materials:

Additional information is available in the NOFO. Applications are due December 15 by 5:00 PM Eastern.

The U.S. DOE Office of Fossil Energy recently announced up to $80 million available under the Mine of the Future – Proving Ground Initiative NOFO, which supports U.S. DOE’s broader Mine of the Future initiative to accelerate technology commercialization and increase the competitiveness of domestic mining operations.

Field sites are essential for minerals and mining stakeholders to test innovative technologies under real-world conditions. Awards made under this NOFO will develop mining proving grounds and support research and development projects that accelerate technologies past laboratory and/or bench scale to testing and demonstration in a field-scale setting.

Selected projects will also create opportunities for hands-on workforce training to prepare the next generation of American miners and engineers to operate advanced mining systems safely and efficiently.

Additional information is available in the NOFO. Applications are due December 15 by 5:00 PM Eastern.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) launched 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.

The Electric Power Research Institute and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) have developed a technical report outlining a roadmap for streamlining and improving the EV charger energization process. Additionally, the organizations have partnered to create three training courses to present key findings and best practices from the report, as well as insights from IREC’s Charging Smart program, a no-cost technical assistance initiative that helps local governments enhance and streamline permitting and zoning policies for EV chargers. 

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

October 2025

September 2025

August 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.