The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced on July 8 that it has awarded approximately $2.7 million in grant funding to four organizations—PowerUp America, Shorepower Technologies, the Town of Thompson's Station, and Universal EV—to install 22 direct current fast charging (DCFC) units at eight sites along prioritized interstate and highway corridors. The funding, drawn from Tennessee's allocation of the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Settlement EMT), marks the second round of awards under the state's Fast Charge TN Network program and targets highway segments identified in TDEC's infrastructure gap map as lacking coverage under the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
The Fast Charge TN Network is a partnership between TDEC and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to build a statewide EV fast-charging network with chargers at least every 50 miles along interstates and major highways within TVA's seven-state service territory. Since the program's first round of awards in 2022, the partnership has completed DCFC sites at 45 locations statewide as of July 2026, with several additional Round One projects still under development. “As Tennessee continues to grow and lead the nation in innovation, there is more demand to serve motorists with electric vehicles,” said TDEC Commissioner David Salyers. “The projects funded by these grants will help Tennessee stay ahead of that demand and continue to be a leader in balancing the economic growth of our state while conserving our precious natural resources.”
This solicitation marked the sixth round of funding TDEC has issued under the VW Settlement EMT, which supports environmental mitigation projects that reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, and complements Tennessee's use of its NEVI Formula Program funds administered by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. TDEC serves as the lead agency for administering the state's VW Settlement EMT allocation and will announce future funding opportunities under the trust as they become available.
For more information, visit https://www.tn.gov/environment/news/2026/7/8/round-two-awards-fast-charge-tn-network.html.