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 includes the creation of plans to 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 broadened our ability to undertake robust stakeholder and public engagement through leveraging the networks of committee members. The goal of this committee was to serve as the primary advisory entity to TDEC and our contractors throughout the planning grant lifecycle.
The ERPAC included 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 were dedicated to representatives from local governments that did not receive their own planning funding to represent their interests in the state plans. TDEC has leveraged existing statewide partnerships to ensure an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders were engaged and had an opportunity to provide early feedback to TDEC at all stages of the planning grant lifecycle.
- 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 Plan and Comprehensive Plan;
- Support the identification of priority activities and measures for inclusion in the Priority Plan and Comprehensive Plan;
- 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 Plan or Comprehensive Plan development; and
- Respond to specific action items, such as reviewing materials and providing timely feedback to TDEC.
| First | Last | TDEC Office |
|---|---|---|
| Peter | Murrey | 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 |
| Tara | Pedraza | Division of Stakeholder Engagement |
| First | Last | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Ronne | Adkins | TDEC, Bureau of Environment |
| Molly | Cripps | TDEC, State Energy Office |
| Matthew | Taylor | TDEC, Office of Sustainable Practices |
| Preston | Elliott | 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) |
| Liz | Upchurch | 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 |
| Lisa | Lambert | 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 |