TDEC will celebrate the 40th year of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards in 2026 and invites Tennesseans to submit nominations for the upcoming honors. The awards 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; Sustainable Performance; Water Quality; and Lifetime Achievement.

Any individual, business, organization, educational institution, or agency is eligible to be nominated, provided it is in Tennessee, and the project was fully implemented and/or finalized in the two years prior to December 31, 2025. Nominations can also be for long-term projects finalized by 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 are due March 13.

Tennessee Clean Fuels, as part of its EMPOWER Workplace Charging program, is currently accepting submissions of workplace EV charging installations that have been completed within the past four years to highlight accomplishments around the state.

EMPOWER is a U.S. DOE-funded program to accelerate the adoption of workplace charging across the country, supporting forward-thinking employers through the complex process of installing chargers and recognizing them for providing this benefit to employees. The project’s goals include engaging over 2,000 workplaces nationwide, securing pledges from over 650 workplaces committed to increasing EV charging access for employees, and catalyzing the installation of over 3,5000 charging ports nationwide. Highlighted organizations across Tennessee that participated by installing workplace charging include the First Tennessee Development District, Middle Tennessee Electric, and Memphis’s Crosstown Concourse.

To submit your organization for consideration, complete the form by March 31.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the path forward to revamp its Clean School Bus Program to provide school districts with increased choice and affordable options for school buses, aiming to strengthen oversight and compliance while aligning with the Trump Administration’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order.

As part of this process, EPA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to seek feedback from fleet operators, manufacturers, school officials, and energy producers on a broad range of fuel options that school bus sectors could use. EPA is planning a new funding opportunity under the Program that will prioritize child safety, fiscal responsibility, and reliability while also providing school districts with consumer choice.

EPA will accept comments through April 6 via the Federal eRulemaking Portal and by mail – see the RFI listing in the Federal Register for further instructions. Additionally, EPA will hold an informational webinar on March 3, for which further details will be provided on the RFI announcement page as they become available.

Calling all Tennessee EV drivers - DriveElectricTN and TNCleanFuels, two statewide nonprofit initiatives supported by stakeholders across a diverse array of sectors, are undertaking a large-scale annual survey of 2025 plug-in electric vehicle (EV) ownership and usage across Tennessee. This survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and collects data essential to understanding how Tennessee's electric transportation landscape is changing. All data will be anonymized. Complete the survey here.

The Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance will host the webinar Hydrogen Fuels Long-haul Trucking on March 19 at 10:00 AM Central. This webinar will explore how hydrogen is emerging as an important clean fuel for long-haul trucking.

Middle Tennessee State University will host the 2026 Forum on Growth and Regional Challenges on March 20. Middle Tennessee is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. With this growth comes both exciting opportunities and challenges for the regional community. This forum addresses these developments by bringing the community together to hear from experts and government leaders on the impacts and details of the region’s growth. Engaging discussions and relevant keynotes will provide valuable insights into how to address growth from regional, state, and national perspectives.

The Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee will host Transit Day on the Hill on March 18. Attendees will meet with lawmakers to make the case for transit as a workforce and economic priority in the state. Join to build relationships with state legislators, discuss the value of multimodal transportation investments, and learn more about the civic process.

The 19th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo will be held in Nashville from March 31 - April 2. 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 Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo is a celebration of the latest transportation technologies, innovations, and research that make Tennessee an emerging leader in mobility solutions. The 2026 Expo will take place on May 12 at GEODIS Park in Nashville. The Expo is attended by leaders from vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, Tennessee-based research institutions and universities, fleet operators, utilities, municipalities, state agencies, and the advanced transportation ecosystem, fostering valuable connections. With thought-provoking sessions, tech demonstrations, and networking, the expo celebrates the state’s position in automotive manufacturing and as a generator of smart mobility solutions.

AARP Community Challenge Grants fund quick-action projects that help communities become more livable by improving public places, transportation, housing, and digital connections. This year, the AARP Community Challenge is accepting applications across three different grant opportunities: flagship grants, capacity-building microgrants, and demonstration grants. All projects must be consistent with AARP’s mission to serve the needs of people 50 and older. Projects can include efforts to expand transportation and mobility options. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and governments. Applications are due March 4.

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) supports the creation of healthy built environments to protect, promote, and improve the health and prosperity of all Tennesseans. TDH has allocated $860,000 for Healthy Built Environment Grants, offering 10–15 reimbursement-based grants to eligible entities to fund projects that address health disparities and foster community resilience through planning or construction projects. This grant has supported a variety of projects, including community plans, playgrounds, parks, greenways, trails, sports facilities, bike infrastructure, and walking tracks. Local and State government entities, tribes, and non-profit entities with 501(c)(3) status are eligible to apply. Letters of intent are due March 13.

Proposals for the 2026 Community Grants program are now open for local bicycle clubs, community bicycle programs, and other not-for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Eligible entities are encouraged to submit proposals for projects that promote bicycling as a safe and healthy form of recreation and transportation. Projects originating at the grassroots community level have the highest probability of funding. Applications are due March 25.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced the launch of 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 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released the 2026 Fuel Economy Guide. The Guide provides detailed fuel-economy estimates for model-year 2026 light-duty vehicles, along with estimated annual fuel costs and other information for prospective car buyers. U.S. DOE and EPA’s FuelEconomy.gov website helps consumers choose the most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets their needs.

The Alliance for Transportation Electrification recently released the white paper Energizing EV Charging Stations: New and Flexible Approaches to Capacity Constraints. Transportation electrification and other sources of load growth are challenging utilities to connect customers faster than ever. At the same time, technological advancements have given utilities and their customers more data, analytical tools, and control technology to help shape decisions and integrate this new load onto the grid in a timely, optimized way. This paper explores a range of solutions that utilities are pursuing to address two key challenges: the time and cost required to upgrade the distribution grid to serve a new customer.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

January 2026

December 2025

November 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.