Emissions Reduction Planning Advisory Committee (ERPAC)

Background

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is currently developing the Tennessee Volunteer Emission Reduction Strategy (TVERS), utilizing funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This initiative will create plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. A later phase of EPA's program will allocate implementation dollars to execute projects that are included in TDEC's plans and that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

To guide the development and adoption of these plans, TDEC formed a diverse, multidisciplinary advisory committee, called the Emissions Reduction Planning Advisory Committee (ERPAC), with representation from stakeholder groups with a vested interest in emissions reductions. The ERPAC will also broaden our ability to undertake robust stakeholder and public engagement through leveraging the networks of committee members. The goal of this committee is to serve as the primary advisory entity to TDEC and our contractors throughout the planning grant lifecycle.

The ERPAC includes representatives from agencies and offices involved in environmental protection, energy, utilities, transportation, housing, and other sectors that involve emissions reductions. Specific positions on the ERPAC are dedicated to representatives from local governments that did not receive their own planning funding to represent their interests in the state plans. TDEC will leverage existing statewide partnerships to ensure an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders are engaged and have an opportunity to provide early and enhanced feedback to TDEC at all stages of the planning grant lifecycle.

Meeting Materials

  • Advise TDEC staff and TDEC’s contractors through providing subject matter expertise and insight on local/state priorities that should be considered for development of the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP);
  • Support the identification of priority activities and measures for inclusion in the PCAP and CCAP;
  • Promote Tennessee’s participation in the subsequent implementation grant phase;
  • Guide TDEC to effective and transparent communication tools for engagement and report outs to key stakeholder groups and the public;
  • Ensure responsible and transparent use of planning funds; and
  • Advise TDEC staff and TDEC’s contractors on effective means to track progress, outputs, and outcomes associated with the planning grant.
  • Attend ERPAC meetings as scheduled, or send a designee if unable to attend, from August 2023 through September 2027;
  • Respectfully represent interests and concerns of the organization that the member is representing as it relates to greenhouse gas and co-pollutant reductions and climate planning;
  • Share public engagement opportunities, such as surveys or public meetings, to broaden TDEC’s reach through the ERPAC’s networks;
  • Review input from public engagement and supplement with additional information or data as requested;
  • Provide updates from their respective organization(s) that align with Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) or Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) development; and
  • Respond to specific action items, such as reviewing materials and providing timely feedback to TDEC.
First Last TDEC Office
Jenn Tribble Office of Policy and Planning
Rachael Maitland Office of Policy and Planning
Michelle Owenby Division of Air Pollution Control
Mary-Margaret Chandler Division of Air Pollution Control
Nikki Thompson Division of Air Pollution Control
Ronne Adkins Division of Stakeholder Engagement
John LeCroy Division of Stakeholder Engagement
Tara Pedraza Division of Stakeholder Engagement
First Last Organization
Greg Young TDEC, Bureau of Environment
Molly Cripps TDEC, State Energy Office
Matthew Taylor TDEC, Office of Sustainable Practices
Andrea Noel Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
Sarah Elliot Tennessee Department of Health (TDH)
Jimmy West Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD)
Jeremy Heidt Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA)
Skip Markham Tennessee Valley Authority
Melissa Taylor Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Authority
Jared Darby City of Memphis and Shelby County
Rob Mathis Cocke County
Scott Conger City of Jackson
Joe Pitts City of Clarksville
Erin Gill Knoxville Utility Board
Robert White Middle TN Electric
LaTricea Adams Young Gifted & Green
Chris Carnevale Southern Alliance on Clean Energy
Laurel Creech The Nature Conservancy Tennessee
Chris Moore Eastman Chemical Company
RJ Gibson Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TCCI)
Peter Thorton Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Heather Slayton Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry