Clean Cities Georgia

Clean Cities Georgia is happy to announce that we have been selected as a 2026 Charging Smart Regional Engagement Partner. Led by IREC as part of the Energy Ready suite of programs, Charging Smart is a free technical assistance and designation program that helps local governments accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging infrastructure. Clean Cities Georgia will work closely with local governments in our region and guide them through this program to facilitate the growth of EVs and support economic growth in the region.

Tray Leslie has joined our Board of Directors at ! He currently serves as the Electric Transportation Manager for Georgia Power Company. In this role, Tray leads the team responsible for Georgia Power’s electric transportation strategy and ex*****on to deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state of Georgia. This includes a portfolio of customer offerings that focus on reducing cost and obstacles for Georgia Power customers ready to integrate electric transportation technologies into their daily lives and business operations.

In the community, Tray serves on the Because on Matters Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Leadership Rockdale, Leadership Toombs-Montgomery, Leadership Barrow, Leadership Gwinnett, Glance Gwinnet Leadership Program, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, and McKinsey Leadership Academy.

We'd like to welcome Dr. Scott McWhorter, a recognized national leader in hydrogen and clean energy deployment, to our Board of Directors. He is currently the Lead for Federal Energy Strategy and National Laboratory Partnerships and a Senior Research Engineer within the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance (SHEA), where he has helped build one of the nation’s largest regional hydrogen stakeholder networks and advance strategies supporting hydrogen infrastructure, workforce development, and commercialization across the Southeastern United States. He also serves on numerous advisory boards and technical review panels for federal agencies, manufacturing institutes, universities, and industry organizations. He is an experienced leader in Energy and Manufacturing R&D including hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, solar, advanced processing, critical minerals, sensors and grid integration. He is focused on increasing the integration of efficient technologies into the industrial marketplace. Scott is a proven leader in developing R&D strategy, driving growth and changing philosophies.

Clean Cities Georgia partnered with Electric Futures at the 4th Annual Southeast Environmental Justice Summit, held July 17–20, to engage attendees in conversations about equitable transportation and electric mobility. Throughout the event, staff shared information about the Electric Futures initiative and highlighted the work completed over the past two years in Atlanta, Albany and Savannah to help communities better understand and shape their electric mobility futures.

The booth provided an opportunity to connect with community members and environmental justice advocates to answer questions and build awareness of the importance of ensuring that the transition to clean transportation is accessible and beneficial for all communities.

What if you could hop on a passenger train in Atlanta and ride all the way to Savannah without sitting in traffic on I-16 or I-75? That idea is one step closer to being studied, and now the Georgia Department of Transportation wants to hear from the public.

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has opened a public comment period for the Atlanta-Savannah Intercity Passenger Rail Project, a long-term effort to evaluate whether passenger rail service between the two cities could become a reality. Read more from 11Alive in the link below.

Atlanta to Savannah by train? GDOT wants to know what Georgians think | Here's how you can weigh in The Georgia Department of Transportation working to determine if an Atlanta-Savannah passenger rail service is feasible.

The electric grid is changing faster than ever. The question is: what comes next?

Join us for the final webinar in the Clean Cities & Electrification Coalition series exploring electricity affordability and the future of our energy system.

Future of the Electric Grid
📅 July 13

We'll discuss the technologies, policies, and business models that will shape tomorrow's electric grid, including:
⚡ The future mix of electricity generation
🔋 The growing role of distributed energy resources (DERs)
☀️ Behind-the-meter solar, battery storage, and electric vehicles
🏛️ Utility business model changes and policy discussions
🔌 How we can build a grid that is more affordable, reliable, resilient, and flexible
Whether you work in transportation, clean energy, local government, utilities, or public policy, this conversation will provide valuable perspectives on where the grid is headed and what it means for electrification.

Bring your questions—and your predictions for the future.

👉 Register today: https://luma.com/wt5e10i5

We're reflecting back on last month when we hosted the Clean Transportation Expo on June 10th-11th. This expo was a resounding success, where experts and industry leaders in alternative fuel transportation were able to meet and present on the advancements in clean transportation. Many vehicles were on display, including the 2026 Production Tesla Semi and the Hyundai XCient Fuel Cell truck. These vehicles represent a new era in transportation, and Clean Cities Georgia is proud to be a part of this time of innovation!

The Clean Transportation Expo was held in Georgia last week and we were excited for those in attendance to build public-private partnerships and talk about successes and challenges with all forms of clean transportation within our region. Panels covered the latest with Compressed and Renewable Natural Gas, Bio Fuels, development, Hydrogen, Electrification, Propane, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, and the technologies that support these fuels.

This summit was a great event for businesses and organizations eager to explore clean transportation’s expanding role and the strides being made in alternative fuel vehicles. Attendees gained direct access to leaders and innovators who were actively advancing clean transportation adoption across the Southeast.

Today is the last day to register for the Clean Transportation Expo, so get your ticket now! This expo will be a great opportunity for fleet professionals to learn about the changing transportation industry and the advancements in alternative fuels and to see the all new electric Tesla 2026 Production Semi, which will be making its East Coast debut! Hyundai will also be showing their Xcient Fuel Cell Truck, along with numerous other vehicles. Claim your tickets here: https://www.cleancitiesgeorgia.org/2026-clean-transportation-expo/

Stephanie Valdez Streaty from Cox Automotive Inc. is one of our featured panel speakers at the upcoming Clean Transportation Expo! She leads research and analysis focused on the transition to EVs. Register for the expo here: https://www.cleancitiesgeorgia.org/2026-clean-transportation-expo/