The Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council’s (TNEAC) Business and Regulatory group seeks input regarding economic opportunities and regulatory barriers in the nuclear industry. The survey seeks to delve into these critical dimensions, aiming to identify economic solutions and regulatory challenges that affect the creation and expansion of nuclear facilities and businesses in Tennessee. Complete the TNEAC Business and Regulatory Survey here.

Synergy Magnetics LLC, a manufacturer of transformers that produces magnetics for use in critical infrastructure applications, recently announced it will open a facility in Gainesboro. Through the Gainsboro facility, Synergy Magnetics will invest more than $5.5 million and create 35 new jobs.

TERREPOWER, a manufacturer and recycler of critical clean energy components and materials, recently launched a solar panel recycling line at its facility in Sparta. This recycling process involves complete separation of solar panel materials, such as aluminum, glass, precious metals, silicon, plastic, and components, which allows for more efficient offloading of materials for reuse. The Sparta facility can currently handle up to 160,000 panels per year for recycling. As the company ramps up operations and additional recycling projects emerge, this capacity is expected to increase significantly in the next few years.

U.S. DOE recently announced $15 million in vouchers to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies. Vouchers provide recipients with in-kind resources from supporting organizations, including DOE national labs. 

Vouchers are available for the following topic areas:

Applications to all voucher programs are due July 9.

U.S. DOE recently launched the Data-Driven Distributed (3D) Solar Visibility Prize, designed to incentivize innovators to develop models and algorithms that can provide accurate and real-time information about distributed solar generation in electric power distribution networks. The prize seeks to promote awareness and adoption of distribution system state estimation (DSSE) algorithms and software tools to improve the visibility of distribution systems and their operating conditions. Competitors will develop a DSSE tool to perform calculations using DOE-provided synthetic measurement data and will submit their DSSE tool results for two distribution system networks for 14 consecutive days. DSSE tools will be tested and judged through the Open Energy Data Initiative for Systems Integration (OEDI SI) platform, a SETO-funded, open-source, cloud-based web portal platform.

Eligible applicants include U.S.-based for-profit and nonprofit private entities and nonfederal government entities, such as states, counties, Tribes, municipalities, and academic institutions. The 3D Solar Visibility Prize offers up to $175,000 total in cash prizes for up to five competitors: two winners and three runners-up. Teaming lists are available here, and applications are due July 10.

The U.S. DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office recently launched the STRIVES funding opportunity, which will provide up to $31 million for research, development, and demonstration projects to improve power systems simulation software tools and demonstrate new business models for distribution systems operations to integrate and optimize the value of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and distributed energy resources including solar generation, wind generation, energy storage, and other technologies such as buildings and electric vehicles.

The two topic areas are as follows:

Eligible entities include higher education institutions, for-profit entities, nonprofit entities, and state and local government entities. Additional information is available in the Funding Opportunity Announcement and the informational webinar slides, and a teaming list is available here. Concept papers are due July 25, and full applications are due October 17.

U.S. DOE recently launched the Science Synthesis Prize under the new Grid Resource Integration Technologies (GRIT) Prize Series. The Science Synthesis Prize aims to address opportunities and challenges as renewable technologies are integrated into the electric grid. U.S. DOE invites students, researchers, industry partners, and key stakeholders to form multidisciplinary teams to develop an in-depth and cohesive research paper that highlights state-of-the-art renewable technologies, addresses the current and projected challenges associated with such technologies, and identifies the renewable integration gaps present throughout the industry that could be addressed with greater investment, research, development and/or awareness.

The $125,000 prize will provide $10,000 for as many as ten teams with five additional $5,000 cash prizes for exceptional submissions. Teaming lists are available here. Applications are due August 30.

The U.S. DOE Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) recently announced $4 million in funding for the American-Made Solar Prize Round 8, designed to spur innovations in solar hardware and software technologies and to address challenges to rapid, equitable solar energy deployment. U.S. DOE is interested in both solar hardware and software technologies. Hardware innovations should be able to be manufactured in the U.S., and software innovations should help address the non-hardware costs of solar, like customer acquisition, financing, and grid integration.

Eligible entities include anyone based in the U.S. with a potentially marketable solar technology solution. The competition will consist of three escalating challenges: Ready!, Set!, and Go!. SETO will hold an informational webinar on July 9 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Applications are due September 26.  

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 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. An informational webinar will be held July 18 at 2:00 PM Eastern. 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.

The fourth annual Infraday Southeast Summit will take place in Nashville on July 18. This event brings together policymakers, industry experts, researchers, and stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to infrastructure development and modernization across the Southeastern U.S. The Summit will feature keynote speakers, panel discussions, and interactive workshops on a range of topics, including transportation, energy, water, and communication infrastructure. 

Register for the Infraday Southeast Summit here.

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council will host a TVA Lunch and Learn webinar with Joe Hoagland, TVA’s Vice President of Enterprise Relations and Innovation, on July 24 at 11:00 AM Eastern. The webinar will provide information on transitioning the energy system for a more sustainable future from Hoagland, a tenured industry expert. The event will provide insight into TVA’s latest trends and developments in renewable energy.

The East Tennessee Economic Council will host the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) in Alcoa on July 30-31. NOW is a nuclear industry conference focused on fission and fusion subjects for professionals and suppliers. It is a place to learn about industry developments, business opportunities, and advancements in research and technologies. Agenda topics include advanced reactors, AI’s impact on the nuclear industry, national and energy security, the nuclear fuel cycle, and a Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council session.

Attendees can network and engage with experts from TVA, U.S. DOE and its contractors, as well as a diverse array of small and large private-industry companies showcasing demonstration projects and technological capabilities. View the draft agenda here and register here for the event.

The Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy in the University of Tennessee Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs will host the second annual Southeast Energy Policy Forum on August 14-15 in Knoxville. The Forum will provide educational content and networking opportunities for private and public sector leaders as they navigate new energy markets, decarbonization trends, demand-side technologies, and transportation electrification. Register here for early bird pricing through July 31.

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. 

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. Early bird registration is available here.

The IRS offers resources to explain various tax incentives available to individuals, businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and government entities under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) at IRS.gov/CleanEnergy. The webpage includes lists of credits available for individuals, such as home energy tax credits and clean vehicle tax credits, as well as information on credits and deductions for businesses and other entities. Visit the elective pay and transferability webpage to learn more about how tax-exempt and governmental entities can utilize tax credits available under the IRA.

The IRS also offers a variety of fact sheets, or publications, throughout its pages, such as:

TDEC OEP is hiring a Grants Contracts Administrator to develop, track, and manage contracts and related compliance requirements for various clean energy grant programs and initiatives. The Grants Contracts Administrator will collaborate with TDEC OEP staff and stakeholders to design various clean energy grant programs and related collateral, serve as the TDEC OEP lead for the development of grant materials, and assist with grant monitoring and compliance.

Applications should be submitted through tn.gov/careers by July 8.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

May 2024

April 2024

March 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.