TVA Releases Draft Integrated Resource Plan
TVA recently released the draft 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a comprehensive plan that will shape TVA's energy system through 2050. TVA is also preparing an accompanying draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The drafts result from months of planning, analysis, and active engagement with stakeholders and the public to evaluate how TVA can continue to provide affordable, reliable, resilient, and increasingly cleaner energy for decades to come. The IRP considers resource needs as well as physical and operational constraints, risks, and proposed resource choices. The accompanying EIS analyzes potential environmental impacts to the Tennessee Valley that could result from the proposed actions in the IRP. TVA will host virtual public webinars and in-person open house meetings across the valley region, including multiple meetings in Tennessee, and will accept comments through November 26.

TVA Rate Increase Beginning October 1
The TVA Board of Directors recently approved a 5.25% base rate increase to go into effect October 1. The rate increase will fund ongoing construction and energy development for approximately 3,500 megawatts (MW) of additional generation. The increase is expected to translate to roughly $4.35 each month for the average residential utility bill.

TVA Approves $150 Million to Support Advanced Nuclear Development
The TVA Board of Directors recently approved an additional $150 million to go towards nuclear programs to support the continued design and development of potential small modular reactors (SMRs) at TVA’s Clinch River site near Oak Ridge. The combined $350 million in funding for the project will support the comprehensive planning, design, and regulatory processes necessary for the deployment of SMRs through fiscal year 2026.

TVA Receives Funding to Support Two Tennessee Dam Upgrades from U.S. DOE
TVA was selected to receive funding from the U.S. DOE Grid Deployment Office under the Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives program. Funding is intended to enhance dam safety, improve grid resilience, and protect existing jobs at hydropower facilities. TVA will receive over $1.2 million for the Great Falls Dam in Tennessee’s Rock Island State Park and over $200,000 for the Ocoee Dam No. 2.

Orano USA, a technology and services provider for commercial and federal nuclear facilities, recently announced the selection of Oak Ridge to construct a new, multibillion-dollar centrifuge uranium enrichment facility. The uranium enrichment center will be a multi-structure commercial production site covering approximately 750,000 square feet, making it one of the largest in North America. Facility operations will create more than 300 new direct jobs in Roane County. Orano will be the second company to locate in Tennessee utilizing the Nuclear Energy Fund, which assists nuclear energy-related businesses choosing to relocate or grow in Tennessee and supports the state’s universities and research institutions in further developing their nuclear education programs. This project is one of the largest private investments in the state’s history.

Tennessee has been awarded $7 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support communities in reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and increasing resilience. The funding is under the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund Program, which aims to equip the State with the ability to administer revolving low-interest loan funds to local governments to adapt infrastructure and better prepare communities. Examples of eligible projects that can be funded through the program are available from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency here.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission recently announced awardees for the latest round of the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grant funding to help prioritize learning opportunities in rural counties and enhance career and technical education statewide. The GIVE program is designed to address skills gaps in Tennessee's workforce by supporting the development of career pathways that connect secondary education, postsecondary institutions, and local employers. The Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, chaired by TDEC Commissioner Salyers, facilitated applications by two awardees focused on nuclear. The Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Knoxville will receive $2 million to create a Nuclear Science Pathway based on existing programs. Roane State Community College will receive $450,000 to leverage regional workforce partnerships to create secondary to post-secondary pathways for a new Nuclear Technology Program.

In episode twenty-three, host Cortney Piper interviews Michael McCall, the TVA Vice President of Environment and Sustainability and Chief Sustainability Officer, about the agency’s 2023 Sustainability Report. In the interview, Piper and McCall discuss how TVA prioritizes sustainability and has shifted its mindset from compliance to stewardship.

In episode twenty-four, Piper speaks with Mitchell Ishmael, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Shift Thermal. Ishmael discusses the company’s advanced thermal energy storage solution and milestones as well as the benefits of cleantech entrepreneurship in Tennessee and the need for partnerships to push the boundaries of sustainability.

All episodes are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Click here to listen.

Each year, TAEBC presents a State or local leader with the Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award. The award honors exemplary leadership and success in championing, connecting, and strengthening Tennessee’s advanced energy economy. TAEBC champions the state’s advanced energy economy as an economic development and job creation strategy through sharing information, connecting stakeholders, and strengthening the industry. These pillars are personally exemplified by the tireless work of Tom Ballard, TAEBC’s first president upon its launch in 2014. Nominations will be accepted through October 31.

EPA is accepting applications for the 2025 Clean Air Excellence Awards to recognize and honor outstanding and innovative efforts to make progress in achieving cleaner air. Award-winning entries must directly or indirectly reduce pollutant emissions, demonstrate innovation, offer sustainable outcomes, and provide a model for others to follow. 

The five award categories for which applicants may enter a program, project, or technology are:

Applications are due October 22. 

The U.S. DOE Office of Technology Transitions and the Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) recently announced the TCF Open Voucher Call program to connect the public with researchers from U.S. DOE National Labs, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The program will award up to 21 vouchers for $100,000 in technical assistance redeemable at one of eight U.S. DOE national labs.

Awardees will be selected based on innovative ideas and concepts for advancing energy, sustainability, or other lab-supported initiatives. Participating national labs will provide awardees with expertise and lab validation capabilities to help them advance their concept closer to commercialization. Applications are due October 3.

EPA announced $2 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for the Community Change Grants Program. Funding is available for projects that deploy clean energy, reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input.

There are two separate tracks available:

Eligible applicants include partnerships between two community-based non-profit organizations and partnerships between a community-based non-profit organization and a local government, institution of higher education, or federally recognized tribe. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity and the Grants.gov page for additional information. Applications are due November 21.

Eligible entities include U.S. solar developers and solar co-developers, organizations partnering with a project developer, and other non-developer organizations. Applications are due December 17.

U.S. DOE recently announced $3.3 million in funding under the Good Jobs in Clean Energy Prize. Up to 15 Phase One awardees will receive $50,000 for demonstrating robust partnerships focused on a specific clean energy employment opportunity and will be eligible to participate in Phase Two of the prize. In Phase Two, up to 10 teams will each win $100,000 for developing and implementing their Coalition Action Plans that demonstrate how the coalition will advance job quality and job access in the clean energy opportunities within their community. In Phase Three, the top three performing coalitions will receive $200,000 to $300,000 for the strength of their impact in implementing their Action Plans, and up to seven runner-up coalitions will receive $125,000.

Eligible coalitions must include, at a minimum, one representative from each of the following stakeholder groups: labor organizations, clean energy employers, community-based organizations, public agencies, and education and workforce providers. Teaming lists are available here, and applications are due January 31, 2025.

The State Funding Readiness Project (SFRP) provides no-cost technical assistance to jurisdictions, including local governments, for preparing and applying for funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. SFRP can help jurisdictions identify specific investment opportunities, conduct a stakeholder mapping exercise, inform budget planning, meet Justice40 requirements, develop competitive grant applications, and strengthen linkages with administering agencies. SFRP has an open, rolling intake process and considers jurisdiction requests at any time. Learn more on the SFRP website.

TVA’s Connected Communities program hosts regular webinars on a variety of topics. Past webinars have addressed workforce development, resiliency, and creating a community benefits plan. View all upcoming and past webinars here.

Upcoming webinars will take place from 1:00-2:00 PM Eastern and include:

The Tennessee Renewable Energy and Economic Development Council (TREEDC) will host its annual conference in partnership with Tennessee Tech University on November 14 at the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce. Attendees will hear from Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, sustainability professionals, energy services providers, PACE clean energy initiatives, updates from TDEC OEP, and USDA Rural Development funding opportunities. View the agenda and register for the Conference here.

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council will host the Opportunities in Energy event on November 19 in Knoxville. The event brings together members and stakeholders to discuss all new and upcoming “opportunities” in the advanced energy sector, including trends, businesses, technologies, and other exciting developments. During the event, a state or local leader will be presented with the annual Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award. The award honors exemplary leadership and success in championing, connecting, and strengthening Tennessee’s advanced energy economy. Register for the event here.

The Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA) will host the 2024 Tennessee Valley Solar + Storage Conference in Huntsville, AL, from November 20-21. The focus of the Conference is to bring together people interested in growing solar business opportunities in the Tennessee Valley and to discuss strategies, market trends, and policies that impact the solar industry. Attendees will participate in in-depth and forward-looking discussions on TVA policy and processes and the evolving technical opportunities facing the industry in the Tennessee Valley region. Register for the Conference here.

U.S. DOE recently released the 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER). USEER is a comprehensive study to track and understand employment within key energy sectors. The analysis shows that employment increased from 2023 across all five USEER energy technology categories, which include electric power generation, energy efficiency, fuels, motor vehicles, and transmission, distribution, and storage. In Tennessee, energy jobs increased 3.4% for a total of 7,144 jobs. The largest energy technology for Tennessee continued to be in motor vehicles, which employed 107,567 workers and increased by 1.5% over the past year. Additional information is available on the Tennessee pages of the USEER 2024 State Reports.

Visit the TDEC Office of Energy Programs Website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/energy.

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

August 2024

July 2024

June 2024

For more information or to submit an idea for a future Monthly Energy Edition, contact:

Audrey Jackson, Communications Officer
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-917-6683 or audrey.jackson@tn.gov

OR

Alexa Voytek, Deputy Director, OEP Programs
U.S. DOE State Energy Program / Innovation & Transportation / Communications
TDEC Office of Energy Programs
 615-613-1096 or alexa.voytek@tn.gov

OR

Mark Finlay, Senior Energy Analyst, TDEC Office of Energy Programs
615-772-6011 or mark.finlay@tn.gov

Acknowledgement: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-EE0009487

Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.