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| News and Events: Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities:
Upcoming Events and Activities: Resources and Guides:
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| Register for 2018 TN Sustainable Transportation Forum, Submit Poster Proposals by August 16
TDEC, in partnership with TDOT and TNCleanFuels, will hold the fourth annual Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo from September 17-18, 2018 at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville. Guest panelists and speakers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Clean Energy Fuels, the City of Knoxville, Bcycle, and more will highlight innovative solutions and implementation best practices for a more sustainable transportation future. The forum will include a luncheon to honor winners of the 2018 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards. Click here to view a preliminary event agenda. Register for the forum at tsta.eventbrite.com. Registration includes access to all forum sessions and lunches, an alternative fuel vehicle showcase, and an offsite networking reception at the Sunsphere. If you have questions about the forum or awards nomination process, contact Alexa Voytek at Alexa.Voytek@tn.gov or 615-532-0238. If you would like to become a sponsor or display a vehicle at the alternative fuel vehicle showcase, contact Jonathan Overly at jonathan@etcleanfuels.org or 865-974-3625. Forum organizers are currently soliciting proposals for a first-ever poster display session, to occur as part of the forum on September 17. Posters should highlight projects and research that contribute to the event’s overall theme, “Where Innovation Meets Implementation,” and should be no more than 300 words. Poster proposals may be submitted by any entity so long as the summarized projects and/or research pertains to actionable sustainable transportation solutions. Presenters should be prepared to speak about their projects with event attendees in a dedicated poster session. All proposals must be sent to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov by Wednesday, August 16, 2018 for consideration at the 2018 forum. Selected poster presenters will be notified by August 22 of their acceptance and will be given further instruction at that time for final poster creation. If you have questions about the poster presentation session or crafting a presentation proposal, please contact Shauna Basques at shauna.basques@tn.gov.
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| TDEC Accepting Public Comment on the State's Proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan for the VW Environmental Mitigation Trust On July 18, 2018, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) released for public comment a proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan (BMP) for implementing the State’s initial allocation of $45.7 million from the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement (VW Settlement) Environmental Mitigation Trust (EMT). The purpose of the EMT is to execute environmental mitigation projects that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The State’s proposed BMP targets the largest contributors of mobile NOx emissions in Tennessee, including the on-road, diesel heavy duty sector and the on-road, non-diesel light duty sector. As NOx emissions contribute to the formation of ozone and particulate matter, reductions in emissions will assist in the State’s efforts to maintain compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Ozone and Particulate Matter. The proposed BMP and a recorded presentation may be accessed here: http://www.tn.gov/environment/vw_bmp. The public is encouraged to review the proposed BMP and submit comments at http://www.tn.gov/environment/vw_bmp or via email to TDEC.OEP@tn.gov. The public comment period will remain open for thirty (30) days following the date of the release of the proposed BMP. TDEC will accept comments through 5:00 p.m. CST on August 17, 2018. All comments and input received will be reviewed and considered by TDEC personnel. The BMP will then be finalized, submitted to the Trustee, and released to the public. Following the finalization of the BMP, TDEC will release funding opportunity announcements and/or project solicitations for corresponding programs. TDEC will also host workshops throughout the state and/or via webinar in order to provide the public with information regarding the proposal process, program and project eligibility, timelines for implementation, and reporting requirements.
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| New Fuels Fix Website and Newsletter Redesign Fuels Fix is a news resource that highlights stories from the alternative fuels industry as well as from U.S. DOE Clean Cities coalitions across the county. For the past decade, Fuels Fix was distributed via a quarterly e-zine. To accommodate new trends in readership, Fuels Fix underwent a major redesign. Current and future subscribers will now receive content from Clean Cities coalitions and alternative fuel industry leaders around the country through an updated website and a monthly email newsletter. Stories feature alternative fuel and infrastructure announcements, upcoming industry events, reviews of alternative fuel vehicles, information on alternative fuel funding opportunities, and successful fleet profiles (in a regular feature called FLEETFIX). Check out the new Fuels Fix and sign up to receive monthly newsletters at http://www.fuelsfix.com/.
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| Nashville MTA Rebrands as WeGo Public Transit As the city continues to grow, Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has decided to rebrand itself from nMotion to WeGo Public Transit. As a part of this rebranding, Nashville MTA will renovate the Music City Central bus depot, revitalize bus stops with digital arrival displays and wayfinding signage, develop a new fare payment system, adjust route schedules for streamlined service, launch free Wi-Fi on transit vehicles, acquire 50 new buses and vans, and make real-time bus route information available through a variety of transit information apps. Click here to learn more about WeGo Public Transit.
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| TVA Now Allows Local Power Companies to Offer EV Rates
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) now offers local power companies the option to participate in a three-year electric vehicle (EV) rate pilot intended to encourage residential and commercial consumers to charge EVs during off-peak hours. This rate is intended solely for the charging of EVs owned by end-use consumers and is not available for public charging stations. Separate metering requirements apply. Interested parties should contact their local power company for further information on availability and pricing.
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| Bike Chattanooga Starts Electric Bike Pilot The City of Chattanooga’s Bike Chattanooga recently added 15 electric bikes to its system as part of a pilot program. The e-bikes have no throttle and are instead able to automatically detect how much boost each rider needs to maintain their speed and level of effort. The bikes, which have a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour, can equalize riders of differing skill levels, allow commuters to ride to work without sweating heavily, and assist older riders who are unable to ride traditional bikes. Click here to read more.
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| Volkswagen to Build Electric Vehicle in Tennessee Volkswagen Group of America recently announced that it will build “Americanized” versions of its electric passenger vehicles at its factory in Chattanooga. The two electric cars Volkswagen will build in Tennessee, the ID Crozz and the ID Buzz, are expected to go on sale in 2019 and 2022, respectively. Click here for more information.
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| Envision Group to Take Control of Nissan's Smyrna Battery Plant
Shanghai-based Envision Group, a pioneer in China’s wind energy industry, will acquire a 75% stake in Nissan’s Automotive Energy Supply Corp and will subsequently take control of Nissan’s Smyrna lithium-ion battery plant. The plant’s 400 employees are expected to become employees of the new battery venture being set up by Nissan and Envision. Through the deal, which is expected to close by March 2019, Envision will become the crucial supplier of battery technology for the Leaf electric car, which is assembled at the Nissan Smyrna plant.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| Clean Energy Launches Zero Now Financing to Put Fleets in Natural Gas Trucks for Price of Diesel Truck
Last month, Clean Energy Fuels Corp. introduced Zero Now Financing, a program that makes the cost of leasing or purchasing a new natural gas heavy-duty truck equal to or lower than the price of the same truck equipped with a diesel engine. In addition, fleets that finance or purchase through the Zero Now Financing program will be able to purchase natural gas fuel at a fixed price significantly discounted to diesel for the term of the financing/lease. The new natural gas trucks will be equipped with a Cummins Westport ISX12N engine, certified by the California Air Resources Board and U.S. EPA at 0.02 g-NOx/bhp-hr, which is 90% lower than current EPA NOx emissions standards. Watch the video below for more information on the new financing program.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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This photo included courtesy of East Tennessee Clean Fuels, 2017 National Drive Electric Week at UT Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. |
| National Drive Electric Week 2018 National Drive Electric Week, which will take place from September 8-16, 2018, is a nationwide celebration to heighten awareness of today's widespread availability of plug-in electric vehicles and to highlight the benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid-electric cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. Electric vehicles are fun to drive, are less expensive and more convenient to fuel than gasoline vehicles, and feature a reduced vehicle emissions profile. National Drive Electric Week events will be held across the country, with several scheduled to take place in Tennessee. Click here to learn more about National Drive Electric Week, or review the links below to find events near you.
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| 2019 Environmental Excellence Awards Open for Nominations The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) biennial Environmental Excellence Awards (EEA) recognize outstanding projects, processes, and partners that use FHWA funding sources to go beyond “business as usual” to achieve environmental excellence in the transportation space. Applications for the 2019 EEAs will be accepted until September 14, 2018. For more information on the application process or to learn more about the EEA Program and past recipients, please visit the FHWA EEA website. For questions about the EEA Program, please contact EEAwardsNomination@dot.gov.
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| TennSMART Fall Member Meeting Save the Date The TennSMART Consortium has sent out a save the date for its fall member meeting, to take place on October 2, 2018 from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM at the Volkswagen Academy Conference Center in Chattanooga. TennSMART is a public-private consortium encompassing a growing number of Tennessee and regional organizations working together to develop scientific knowledge and new technologies to change how America transports people and goods. TennSMART members are committed to the research and development of transportation topics including connected and automated vehicles, electric vehicles, cybersecurity, freight efficiency, and multimodal commuting. To become a member, click here.
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| Tennessee Clean Fuels to Host Statewide First Responder Training Sessions for AFV Safety
Tennessee Clean Fuels recently announced a series of instructor-led classroom trainings provided by the National Fire Protection Association for first responders on alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and how to respond to electric, natural gas, and propane vehicle incidents. Trainings are scheduled to occur in October 2018 in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. These trainings are designed to equip local trainers with the knowledge and materials to teach their own staff members about alternative fuels. Each session will also feature a live demonstration of onsite AFVs, which will consist of vehicles that currently operate in and around the city in which each event is held.
Click here to learn more and to register for the trainings. Registration will cost $40 per person. If your department or squad will have difficulty covering the cost to attend, please call Daniel Siksay, Project Manager at ETCleanFuels, at 865-974-9665 to discuss available discount options.
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| GRIDSMART Technology's INTERSECT18
INERSECT18, an annual conference hosted by GRIDSMART Technologies, Inc., will be held on October 16-18, 2018 in Knoxville. The conference will cover major issues facing the transportation sector and how each of these issues can be impacted, and ultimately mitigated, by the ITS and technology industries. Some of these issues include cybersecurity, connected and autonomous vehicles, road safety, and more. Click here to learn more and register for the conference.
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| U.S. DOE Releases Request for Information on Hydrogen U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently announced the release of a request for information (RFI) soliciting stakeholder feedback on opportunities to enable high volume production and multi-sector use of hydrogen. Hydrogen is an energy carrier and a feedstock used in industrial applications today including petroleum refining, ammonia production for fertilizers, and steel production, and can also be used in fuel cells to generate power for homes or to drive cars, buses or trucks. With the help of this RFI, hydrogen use could be expanded and made more affordable across multiple applications such as energy storage, running large turbines at power plants, supporting grid flexibility and enabling baseload operation of nuclear plants, as well as increased renewable power generation. RFI Topics include: - Domestic Hydrogen Supply Expansion/ Diversification
- Demand-Sector Market Expansion
- Leveraging Current Industries and Infrastructure
- H2@ Scale H-Prize Competition Concepts
- Innovative Approaches for Enabling H2@ Scale
Responses are due October 31, 2018, at 5:00 PM EST.
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| Sierra Club and Plug In America Publish Policy Toolkit to Accelerate EV Adoption Last month, Sierra Club and Plug In America together released a toolkit on supportive electric vehicle (EV) policies for state and local governments. The toolkit includes sample policies for vehicle rebates, tax credits, HOV lane access, and expanded access to charging infrastructure, and also takes into consideration consumer protection and equity issues for disadvantaged communities. The sample policies within the toolkit were prepared in the form of templates that can be downloaded and customized by states, cities, or communities. Click here to access the toolkit.
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| TRB Releases Report on Interplay Among Public Transit, Shared Mobility, and Automobiles in Cities
A new report from the Transportation Research Board (TRB), “Broadening Understanding of the Interplay Among Public Transit, Shared Mobility, and Personal Automobiles,” explores how shared transportation modes such as rideshare influence the use of public transit and personal automobiles. The report discusses the effects that app-based transportation network companies (TNCs) have on urban areas, including their impact on traffic congestion, public transit ridership, and single-occupancy vehicle trips. The report finds that public transit agencies may benefit from proactively engaging TNCs in ways that align their goals, including through partnerships, pilots, and other measures to encourage complementary usage and to promote multi-modal lifestyles. Finally, the report includes TNC partnership guidance for transit agencies in large, midsized, and smaller urban areas, finding that the size of the urban area and the urban form are key to determining how TNCs work in a region. The report’s broad guidelines can be tailored to the specific conditions of a given agency, with the general goal of helping to maintain and support transit and increase affordable, environmentally sound transportation options for a wide range of users.
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