The White House recently announced new initiatives to strengthen the U.S.-Japan Alliance and enhance economic security. Among these initiatives are Japanese investments under the 2025 U.S.-Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement, which includes an expected $40 billion to support GE Vernova Hitachi in Tennessee and Alabama to build small modular reactor power plants.

Governor Lee recently announced that the State of Tennessee submitted a comprehensive proposal to U.S. DOE in response to its recent Request for Information, positioning Oak Ridge as the premier site for a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. The State’s comprehensive response outlines candidate sites, priority campus functions, while further demonstrating why Tennessee is uniquely positioned to lead a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus. The project would further strengthen Tennessee’s role in advancing safe, reliable energy solutions.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) received over $2.5 million in awards from the U.S. DOE Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research R&D program. The program supports university-led projects that address the needs and priorities of the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), including fuel cycle, reactor concepts, and NE mission-supporting research. UTK's projects and awarded funding include:

UTK plans to create public-private innovation districts, including a new center focused on national security. The National Security Prototype Center is designed to be part of the larger Oak Ridge Innovation Corridor proposed by UTK Chancellor Donde Plowman. The 60,000-square-foot building will be developed by a private business and operated in partnership with the Y-12 National Security Complex. Top students will have the opportunity to work alongside nuclear industry researchers, and the project will deepen the university’s ties to Y-12 and ORNL.

ORNL is launching the Next Generation Data Centers Institute (NGDCI). This internal ORNL institute will unite the laboratory’s unique expertise and facilities spanning energy technologies, high-performance computing, cybersecurity, and grid science to ensure that the rapidly growing U.S. AI infrastructure remains secure, efficient, and reliable.

The U.S. DOE University Nuclear Research Infrastructure Revitalization funding opportunity will award a university-led consortium up to $6 million to establish and/or enhance nuclear research capabilities at U.S. universities, especially in support of nuclear cyber-physical protection, new digital technologies in advanced nuclear reactors, and the development and safety assessments of small modular reactors.

Eligible applicants include U.S. universities and colleges. Additional information is available in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Applications are due May 13.

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.

TenneSEIA, the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association, will host the webinar Community and Utility Benefits of Local Solar on April 20 at 1:00 PM Central. This virtual session will bring together leaders from utilities, education, and economic development to discuss how locally developed solar projects can create lasting value for communities. The conversation will highlight real-world experiences from organizations seeing the benefits of local solar firsthand. Speakers will share insights on how solar energy supports grid reliability, strengthens local economies, expands educational opportunities, and helps utilities meet growing energy needs while supporting sustainable development.

The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) will host its annual forum, this year titled The Business of Nuclear: Communities and Industry Working Together, in Augusta, GA, from April 21-24. The event will feature discussions on delivering new nuclear projects on private and federal sites across the U.S. Attendees will discover the latest news, business opportunities, and nuclear energy advancements with industry leaders, data center companies, host communities, U.S. DOE, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and state and tribal governments.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development will host the inaugural WorkSource Summit May 12-13 in Nashville. The no-cost, two-day event brings together employers, educators, workforce professionals, policymakers, and economic development leaders around a shared goal of strengthening a talent ecosystem that meets industry needs. Attendees will gain insights into apprenticeships, micro-credentials, Workforce Pell, and innovative work-based learning opportunities advancing across Tennessee, along with proven strategies that keep our state nationally competitive

The Nuclear Energy Policy Forum (NEPF), hosted by the Nuclear Energy Institute, will take place May 12-13 in Washington, D.C. NEPF brings together industry, finance, and government leaders to shape the future of nuclear energy policy, and allows senior executives, investors and lenders, congressional and federal agency staff, state policymakers and regulators, national laboratories, NGOs, universities, and industry partners to engage in direct, high-impact dialogue at a pivotal moment for energy security and economic competitiveness.

The Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South (TENSOS) will be held in Chattanooga on May 13-15. The three-day event will host environmental professionals seeking to exchange knowledge and share ideas. The educational program offers over 70 unique courses in nine educational breakout sessions, allowing attendees to design their own personalized curriculum. Session topics include AI, data centers, advanced nuclear, energy regulation, and alternative fuels for fleets.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and the Tennessee Nuclear Network will host the Pathway to Trades Summit: Building the Nuclear Trades Pipeline Together on May 14 in Oak Ridge. The Tennessee nuclear industry is expanding rapidly and will need collaboration to ensure our workforce pipeline can meet the growing demand. This summit is an opportunity to be part of a high-impact group of stakeholders dedicated to crafting solutions and driving meaningful change. The event is recommended for industry leaders, human resources executives, trade union leadership, education administrators, local and regional government representatives, and non-profit and community partners.

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. Join the email list here for event updates.

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.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy recently released the seventh edition of its Energy Efficiency in the Southeast report. The report examines the connection between energy efficiency and utility resource planning. Utility energy efficiency portfolios are ranked based on the reporting of energy saved in 2024 as a percentage of the utility’s total amount of electricity sold to customers. Additional policy context is then added along with comparisons to state, regional, and national averages that highlight recent trends. For Tennessee, the report notes that TVA demonstrated a promising increase in its energy efficiency performance in 2024, with energy savings of 0.14% of retail sales, close to its historical peak in 2013-2014.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

February 2026

January 2026

December 2025

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.