The Tennessee Higher Education Commission announced the award of $899,487 in Nuclear Equipment Funding to four institutions to support the expansion of nuclear education and workforce training programs across the state. This investment is made possible through the support of Governor Bill Lee and the General Assembly and reflects Tennessee’s commitment to strengthening workforce development and advancing energy innovation. By supporting the acquisition of cutting-edge training equipment, the initiative helps accelerate the growth of the state’s nuclear energy sector while expanding workforce development opportunities across the region.

The following institutions received funding:

Image courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. 

Reinhausen Inc., a German power infrastructure manufacturer, will invest $6.7 million and create nearly 100 jobs at its Humboldt facility to meet growing demand for advanced transformer production, voltage regulation, and grid-automation technologies. Long established in West Tennessee, the company’s expansion underscores Tennessee’s role in supporting next‑generation grid infrastructure.

Vanderbilt University was awarded $1 million from the U.S. DOE Advanced Mining and Mineral Production Technologies Office to advance a new approach to direct lithium extraction. In partnership with the University of California, San Diego, researchers will develop a Selective and Continuous Electrochemical Lithium Pump (SCELiP), a technology designed to improve efficiency and selectivity in extracting lithium from a variety of brine sources. The project aims to demonstrate performance gains over conventional methods and strengthen Tennessee’s role in developing innovative, supply‑chain‑critical energy technologies.

U.S. DOE awarded $94 million to eight companies to help address key challenges facing the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), including licensing, supply chain development, and site preparation. Among the awardees, Container Technologies Industries, LLC will receive $547,900 to expand nuclear quality assurance certifications at its Helenwood, TN, facility. This investment will support the company’s ability to produce steel components for Gen III+ SMR deployments, strengthening Tennessee’s role in the emerging advanced nuclear supply chain.

The U.S. DOE Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation (CMEI) announced approximately $5.4 million for five projects to help establish a secure, domestic supply chain for gallium, a critical material for the defense and semiconductor sectors and a growing priority within the nation’s evolving energy landscape. Funded through the Technology for Recovery and Advanced Critical-material Extraction–Gallium (TRACE-Ga) initiative, Kunin Technologies, Inc in Chattanooga, TN, will develop an innovative process to produce 12 tons of gallium per year by recovering it from high‑concentration metal streams. The effort supports federal goals to rapidly prototype new gallium recovery technologies and reduce U.S. reliance on imports.

WaterWays, a nonprofit that empowers communities to protect and restore local watersheds, is gathering feedback from regional organizations, municipalities, and educational providers to identify key themes to showcase in their mobile, hands-on environmental education center aimed at enhancing watershed literacy and fostering environmental stewardship. The education center will deliver immersive and interactive watershed science to schools and communities. Survey responses will be accepted through the end of June.

TDEC oversees the Brownfield Redevelopment Area Grant (BRAG) Program, which promotes conservation of Tennessee’s agricultural, recreational, and open space lands by encouraging environmentally sound redevelopment of properties blighted by real or perceived contamination. Eligible applicants must be political subdivisions of the state, including, but not limited to a county, municipality, development district, or development board.

For additional information, TDEC has made available an informational webinar covering the basics of the BRAG program as well as an application webinar that discusses how to apply for funding. Applications for this cycle of the BRAG funding will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The U.S. DOE Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and Office of Indian Energy announced up to $11.3 million in federal funding available to institutions of higher education to train the next generation of America’s energy workforce through the Partnerships for Academic-Industry Career Training (PACT) Initiative. Awards will establish regional consortia (comprising academic institutions, industry employers, and workforce development entities) that will create or expand hands-on training programs and credentials supporting the production of hydrocarbons and geothermal energy. Applications are due July 17.

A new national initiative will support states and local governments in deploying and scaling virtual power plants. Led by the Clean Energy States Alliance in partnership with the World Resources Institute’s Clean Energy Group and the Justice Climate Fund, the Virtual Power Plant Acceleration Initiative effort will offer technical assistance, share replicable program models, support policy and regulatory reform, engage communities, and help connect projects with financing.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration, through the FY 2025 EDA Disaster Supplemental NOFO, will award grants in regions experiencing severe economic distress or other economic harm resulting from hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. This funding opportunity encourages broad-based local engagement and emphasizes projects that involve private industry in disaster recovery and economic renewal.

Two funding pathways are available:

Eligible applicants include district organizations of an Economic Development District (EDD), Indian tribes, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, public or private nonprofits working with local governments, economic development organizations, and public-private partnerships for public infrastructure. Applications for the Readiness and Implementation funding pathways will be accepted on a rolling basis.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) administers the Innovation & Research for Industry Success (IRIS) Grant Program, which aims to enhance and facilitate partnerships between private industry and the state’s leading research institutions. The grant program will encourage companies to pilot innovative technologies and pursue discoveries within the state, which, in turn, will facilitate collaborations that highlight the strength of Tennessee’s research capabilities and foster long-term corporate investment in the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Prior to applying for funding, the IRIS Intake Form must be submitted to confirm program eligibility. 

Applications for the inaugural round of IRIS funding are open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) will host a Nuclear Opportunities Workshop at the Knoxville Convention Center on August 4-5. The annual conference features experts in nuclear fission and fusion energy, national security, radioisotopes, environmental management, policy, regulation, reactors, and workforce development. Attendees can network and engage with experts from TVA, U.S. DOE, and U.S. DOE contractors, as well as a diverse array of small and large private-industry companies showcasing projects and technological capabilities. This includes interaction with students, interns, and postdocs as part of efforts to grow the future workforce in Tennessee. 

The Tennessee Sustainability Conference will take place August 18-21 in Gatlinburg. The annual event—organized by the Tennessee Recycling Coalition, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Tennessee Environmental Conference—brings together a diverse group of professionals, including government officials, business leaders, Mayors, nonprofits, and sustainability experts. Attendees will engage in a variety of sessions, panel discussions, and workshops led by top professionals in the field, and will discover new technologies, regulations, recycling programs, and best practices shaping the future of natural resource management. 

The 2026 Tennessee Valley Solar + Storage Conference will take place in Chattanooga on September 2-3. The event brings together people interested in growing the solar and storage market in the Tennessee Valley to discuss strategies, market trends, and policies that impact the solar industry. Attendees will participate in in-depth, forward-looking discussions on TVA policies and processes, as well as on the evolving technical opportunities facing the industry in the Tennessee Valley region.

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council will host its annual Opportunities in Energy event on November 17 in Knoxville. This event is an opportunity to connect with hundreds of industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to discuss the future of Tennessee’s rapidly expanding advanced energy sector.

Atlas Public Policy’s Clean Economy Tracker recently released a new set of state fact sheets that provide high‑level insights into the growth of clean energy manufacturing and power generation nationwide. Updated monthly, the fact sheets track private‑sector investment, job creation, and deployment of energy technologies.

Tennessee’s fact sheet highlights the state’s growing energy economy, underscoring how new manufacturing investments and expanding energy projects are reshaping communities and contributing to regional economic development. The resource provides an accessible snapshot of Tennessee’s momentum and emerging trends across the sector.

Tennessee residents can take advantage of the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program to reduce the cost of improvements like heat‑pump HVAC systems and insulation upgrades. These programs can help households lower energy use, cut utility bills, and stay comfortable throughout the summer.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

March 2026

February 2026

January 2026

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 State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP) under the State Energy Program Award Number DE-SE0001084.

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.