CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – CARTA has entered into a new funding and partnership agreement with TVA and EPB.

It’s to expand a network of electric vehicle charging stations.

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The program will also create a new transportation alternative through an electric vehicle car-sharing system.

The first phase of this project funds the development, design, construction and operation of the electric vehicle charging system.

CARTA’s vision is to provide an initial network of twenty electric vehicle charging stations.

Chattanooga will be one of the first cities in the nation with an electric-vehicle ride share program.

“An exciting aspect of this project is the fact that CARTA is putting in solar production facilities—a large one here at CARTA and another facility at the Chattanooga airport and one at Southern Adventist University,” Phillip Pugliese with CARTA said.

“We are a supporter of the primary agencies which are driving it.” John Pless, Spokesman for EPB, said.

“CARTA and TVA…and of course we are the community provider of communications and energy.”

The program creates a solar energy generation system that will increase the amount of renewable energy on the power grid, by selling the energy generated through TVA’s solar programs.

“Its all powered by TVA’s solar assist charging stations and we’re proud to partner with with EPB and CARTA and Green Commuter to offer those charging stations to the public for free,” TVA Spokesman Scott Fiedler said.

Green Commuter is the California-based company that developed the program which will eventually combine vanpool and car-sharing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut down on traffic.

There’s a demonstration exhibit set up at Riverbend.

“We know Chattanooga has had the all electric shuttle, we thought, why not bring some electric cars,” Green Commuter operations manager Kelly Muchnick said.

The program will use Nissan Leaf’s purchased locally.

A research component of the project will track the system and gather data to support additional programs in the Tennessee Valley.

Phase Two of the project will be the development and deployment of an electric vehicle car-sharing system.

It will be operated from the new vehicle charging stations to be set up around the city.