Additionally, TDEC OEP will be a partner under the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority’s ‘Southeast Commercial Energy Auditor Collaborative Partnership’ (hereafter called the “Commercial Partnership”) to expand the commercial energy auditor workforce in historically underserved areas in the Southeast and U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Residential and Commercial Partnerships will help create job opportunities in marginalized communities, support the implementation of complementary federal programs, and reduce energy cost burdens for both residents and commercial business owners. 

Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development recently announced that Tennessee Tech University (TTU) will receive over $1 million in funding from the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Fund to support existing nuclear programs and the development and implementation of new nuclear education curricula. TTU’s curriculum will include principles of nuclear energy production, reactor systems design, spent fuel reprocessing, nuclear safety, and nuclear cybersecurity.

The U.S. DOE Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains recently announced nearly $430 million for projects led by small- and medium-sized businesses to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing. Hempitecture Inc., located in Rogersville, was awarded $8.42 million to create an industrial fiber hemp processing and manufacturing facility that will produce high-performing products, with a 60-80% reduced carbon intensity, for the building materials, packaging, and automotive industries. The new facility will create 25 full-time jobs.

U.S. DOE recently announced over $31 million under the Communities Sparking Investments in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) funding opportunity. The City of Chattanooga was selected to receive $2.9 million to create the James A. Henry Resiliency Hub by renovating and expanding a closed school, including the installation of roof insulation, high-performance windows, LED lighting, and an efficient chiller. The Hub will align with Climate Action Plan goals and reduce energy costs, create job opportunities and employment services, and reinvest in the community.  

TDEC OEP provides educators with the knowledge and resources necessary to teach energy concepts in the K-12 classroom, helping Tennessee educators inspire their students and prepare them for success in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Staff travel across the state to support year-round professional development and student learning opportunities in energy education. Learn more about OEP’s K-12 Energy Education programming here.

Earlier this month, TDEC OEP participated in the Kingston Elementary School STEM Night event. Through this event, TDEC OEP reached more than 250 families with lessons on energy-related topics, including solar power, chemical reactions, and electric circuitry. Additional information about other K-12 Energy Education events that have previously taken place across Tennessee is available here.

In episode twenty-five, host Cortney Piper interviews Mark Brown, CEO of WastAway, which converts municipal waste into biofuels. In the interview, Piper and Brown discuss the company and its new waste to energy facility in Murfreesboro.

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

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.

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. They have supported forty projects in twenty-five jurisdictions thus far, securing over $1.5 billion in federal funding. 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:

TVA recently released a draft 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a comprehensive plan that will shape TVA's energy system through 2050, as well as 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. Visit the page for IRP engagement here to view all opportunities for engagement and register to participate in virtual events.

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. Examples of sessions include navigating local county siting challenges and meeting the evolving large customer needs for clean energy. View the agenda and register for the  Conference here.

The annual Southeast Energy Summit brings together participants in the industry to connect, explore, and innovate for a more energy-efficient Southeast. The 2024 event will take place November 20-22 in Nashville and will dive into dynamic discussions, celebrate regional accomplishments, and enjoy fun networking events. Topics will include grid planning, innovative ways to support cities and municipalities, and the impacts of electric vehicles on the grid. View the agenda here and register for the Summit here.  

The Building Performance Institute (BPI) recently released a Recruitment Toolkit with messages, graphics, and strategies to recruit students and workers into careers with residential building energy efficiency and heat pumps. The toolkit was informed by experts, experienced contractors, and educators. View a webinar here on how to use the toolkit materials.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

September 2024

August 2024

July 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 State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-SE0001095.

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.