The Transportation Committee of the Tennessee Chapter works on any local issue that furthers the transition to clean and pollution-free mobility in the state.
Actions During the Past Year:
- Bill Kornrich partnered with East TN Clean Fuels to help the school district in Hancock County apply for funding for electric school buses under the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.
- Harvey Broome Group members tabled at the National Drive Electric Week at Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Knoxville, the second largest electric vehicle (EV) event in the country last year, showing off several makes of electric cars.
- Kent Minault as Co-Chair of the Drive Electric Tennessee Infrastructure Working Group, along with TVA’s Drew Frye, shares information from local governments and industry about charging infrastructure and EV battery recycling.
- Members have done presentations about the transition to EVs to groups around the state, including Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light, the Sierra Club’s Middle Tennessee Group, Dobyns Bennett High School, East Tennessee Environmental Conference, Dobyns Bennett Excel High School, Citizens Climate Lobby, and Hopewell Christian Church.
- JoAnn McIntosh produced an entertaining 18-minute video about IRA tax rebates for purchasing or leasing EVs.
- JoAnn also co-hosted a National Drive Electric Week drive & ride event in Clarksville as well as a ground-breaking event at the installation of TVA’s DC Fast Charger in Clarksville.
- Dave Hrivnak coordinated Drive & Ride in Kingsport and Abingdon VA.
- Dave also invited several car dealers to the Connecting Kingsport EVSE Workshop 2024 at the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and announced to workshop participants the upcoming Advancing Rural EV Infrastructure Webinar put on by the Department of Energy and Tennessee Tech University.
- David Riall and other electric-driving Sierra Club members in the Cherokee Group helped organize a number of EV events, including:
- The Green Grand Prix (March 25)
- Drive Electric Field Day (April 22)
- Drive Electric Festival (September 30)
- The Chattanooga Motorcar Festival (October 17).
Tennessee’s Transit Systems are Electrifying!
- Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) now operates 13 all-electric transit buses in its service area, the largest fleet in the state. In 2023, it purchased an overhead charger which will enable it to expand its electric fleet.
- Nashville’s WeGo has nine new Proterra electric buses serving its Music City Circuit, free for all passengers and providing easy access to many historic landmarks.
- Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) has 12 full-size EV buses and 14 free-to-ride electric shuttles
- Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) received $22 million in federal funding to bring electric buses to the city, with three currently in operation.
You can help! The Transportation Committee is looking for new members around the state, especially to help local school districts apply for the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program.
For more information or to join the Transportation Committee, contact Committee Chair Kent Minault at kminault@gmail.com.