TVA/Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Memorandum of Agreement: Defining Responsibilities for the Deployment of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (“TDEC”) and Tennessee Valley Authority (“TVA”) executed a Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) titled:

To Define Responsibilities for the Deployment of Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Tennessee

The purposes of the MOA are described as:

• Document the cooperation between the agencies to support and fund the development of a statewide electric vehicle (“EV”) charging network with the provisions of this MOA.
• Define responsibilities for program design, oversight, management, and reporting on coordinated EV charging infrastructure funding programs.
• Set forth the intention of the agencies to outline the relationship, priorities, and framework for coordination on EV infrastructure development between the agencies .

The MOA envisions funding a network of fast charging stations at 50 mile intervals along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways. Approximately 50 new charging stations are anticipated (above and beyond the current 24 fast charging stations operating in Tennessee).

TDEC and TVA are stated to be leveraging funding sources to support the development of the network that is anticipated to cost $20 million. TDEC is stated to have committed 15 percent of the maximum allowable from Tennessee’s::

• Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust Allocation

Tennessee developed a Charging Infrastructure Needs Assessment which addressed the objective of increasing EV adoption over the next five to ten years in the state. Stakeholders participating in this program comprised Drive Electric Tennessee. In 2019 Drive Electric Tennessee released the first edition of an EV roadmap. The roadmap is stated to establish a goal to increase EV adoption to 200,000 by 2028.Note that Arkansas recently announced a grant program for the funding of EV charging stations. (See previous link here.)

A copy of the MOA can be downloaded here.