Governor Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development recently announced that BWXT Enrichment Operations, LLC, a subsidiary of nuclear solutions provider BWX Technologies, Inc., will establish a facility for the manufacturing of centrifuge assemblies in Oak Ridge, near Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). BWXT already employs more than 1,140 people in Tennessee, principally at two locations: Nuclear Fuel Services in Erwin and its recently acquired Jonesborough facility. BWXT plans to create 60 jobs and invest $45 million in the new facility on over 96 acres in Oak Ridge. That site is part of BWXT’s long-term plans to support fuel production for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) defense program. The announcement also represents the third grant awarded from the State’s Nuclear Energy Fund.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the 2025 rankings of top graduate schools. The Tickle College of Engineering’s Nuclear Engineering Program was ranked as the second-best program among public schools and the third-best program nationally. Tennessee has an estimated 40,000 jobs in the nuclear industry, and UTK’s programming is an essential component in preparing the workforce for the state’s growing nuclear economy. 

Courtesy of East Tennessee Economic Council 

Earlier this month, the East Tennessee Economic Council hosted Tennessee Nuclear and Innovative Energy Day on the Hill. This second annual event included over 100 attendees, including TDEC Commissioner David Salyers, 20 exhibitors, and visits from multiple members of the legislature. The event provides a forum for education, networking, and advocacy to promote the region’s leadership in the nuclear and energy innovation sector and includes discussions, networking, and collaboration centered around advancing nuclear energy in Tennessee. Advanced nuclear has a role in energy production, independence, dominance, and security, enabling economic development and job creation for all Tennessee communities.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently announced that Don Moul was selected to serve as its new Chief Executive Officer. Moul follows Jeff Lyash, who announced his intent to retire in January. Moul has served TVA since 2021 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and has been in the field of power generation and operations for over 38 years.

In addition to announcing a new CEO, TVA has elected Bill Renick as Chair of the Board of Directors. Renick has taken over as Chair following Joe Ritch, who left the Board in April. Renick has served on the TVA Board of Directors since December 2022.

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator supports early-stage cleantech businesses and drives commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee and throughout the Midwest and the Southeast. The Accelerator is a 12-week program that kicks off in late August at the UT Research Park in Knoxville. The program provides mentorship, connections, stipends, prototyping services, and business acceleration services to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs to help commercialize innovations. Applications are due May 16.

The U.S. DOE Industrial Training & Assessment Centers (ITAC) Program has re-opened applications for small and medium-sized manufacturing (SMM) firms to receive grants of up to $300,000 per unique assessment recommendation from ITAC assessments. These grants will support projects to improve energy and material efficiency, increase productivity, and reduce emissions at SMMs. U.S. DOE has extended the application deadline and selection process for this program to be compliant with recent Executive Orders. The application deadline is to be determined, and U.S. DOE will provide a 30-60 day notice prior to closing the application portal.

The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) launched a learning series on registered apprenticeships through its Apprenticeships in Clean Energy (ACE) Network, a national coalition of industry, training, and workforce development leaders seeking to expand and diversify Registered Apprenticeship opportunities in the clean energy industries. Webinars are scheduled on the third Wednesday of every month at 2:00 PM Eastern through November, and each session will focus on a specific aspect of apprenticeships, equipping attendees with the knowledge to develop, implement, and manage successful programs.

Reuters Events will host its SMR (Small Modular Reactor) & Advanced Reactor 2025 event in Nashville on May 12-13. The event is a senior-level meeting point for the SMR community and will include over 600 leaders from utilities, financiers, reactor developers, technology providers, and regulators. Attendees will hear case study insights from first movers, learn strategies to successfully navigate regulatory challenges, and hear methods to expedite deployment.

The Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South (TENSOS) will be held May 14-16 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Over the three-day event, TENSOS will host an elite group of environmental professionals seeking to exchange knowledge and share ideas about environmental concerns in Tennessee and across the Southeast region. Breakout sessions will cover a wide range of environmental topics, including energy-focused breakout sessions that will discuss alternative energy, including solar and hydrogen, and nuclear enrichment and fuel production. The conference schedule is available here.

The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions will host a regional roundtable, Securing the Battery and Critical Material Supply Chain in the Southeast, on May 15 in Knoxville. The full-day event will highlight regional leadership, identify focus areas for in-depth research and policy development, and kick off a series of convenings across the region to collaboratively develop a regional roadmap for the battery and critical mineral and material industry. This event will bring together key stakeholders including businesses of all sizes, state and local policymakers, academic experts and leading researchers, economic development organizations, nonprofits, and public- and private-sector partners.

The Solar Energy Industries Association will host the Virtual Event: Navigating Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship Requirements for Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits on May 22 from 1:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern. The virtual event will provide information and tools to implement and document efforts correctly for the Inflation Reduction Act's Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship requirements. The event will also include an overview of the U.S. national apprenticeship system, including information on navigating the various types of apprenticeship options and resources to join, register, or expand a Registered Apprenticeship program.   

The East Tennessee Economic Council will host the 2025 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) in Knoxville on July 22-23. The event will focus on all things nuclear: fission, fusion, isotopes, environmental management, AI in nuclear, and workforce. NOW is a place to learn about industry developments, opportunities, and advancements in research and technologies. Attendees will network and engage with experts from TVA, U.S. DOE and its contractors; a diverse array of small and large private-industry companies showcasing projects and technological capabilities; and students, interns, and postdocs.

The Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA) will host its 2025 Tennessee Valley Solar + Storage Conference in Nashville on October 28-30. 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.

The 2025 Governor’s Conference, or GovCon, will be held November 4-5 in Murfreesboro. The event will bring together leaders from across the state to define what economic development means to communities. GovCon is the premier event for networking and collaboration, designed to elevate business, community, and rural development efforts across Tennessee.

Stay informed with the Energy Security Quarterly Newsletter from the TDEC OEP. Each edition brings you news and insights on energy security, from national energy resource forecasts, Tennessee planning, preparedness, and response stories to cybersecurity news. Reach out to OEP Senior Energy Programs Administrator Ben Bolton via e-mail at Ben.Bolton@tn.gov to sign up. 

Metro Nashville’s Department of General Services recently published a new version of its Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which tracks emissions produced by Metro Government operations and the Nashville community overall. The Department also published an interactive dashboard to visualize Nashville’s greenhouse gas emission trends and sources. The data, which is current through 2022, notes a decrease in municipal emissions of 26% from 2014 levels, and recognizes buildings and facilities as the largest source of municipal emissions.  

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

March 2025

February 2025

December 2024

For more information or to submit an idea for a future Monthly Transportation 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.