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

Oklo Inc., an advanced nuclear technology company, recently announced it has selected Oak Ridge as the location of its nearly $1.7 billion expansion. The project, which includes the development of an advanced nuclear fuel recycling facility on a 247-acre site at the Oak Ridge Heritage Center, will create more than 800 jobs. The facility will recycle used nuclear fuel from today’s operating fleet, establishing the nation’s first privately funded nuclear recycling facility and providing a durable, domestic fuel supply for advanced reactors.

Oklo is also exploring opportunities with TVA to recycle used fuel and to evaluate potential power sales from future Oklo powerhouses in the region to TVA. The recycling facility is the first phase of Oklo’s broader advanced fuel center. It will recover usable material from used nuclear fuel and fabricate it into metal fuel for fast reactors like Oklo’s Aurora powerhouse.

Oklo is the fifth company to locate in the state using the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Fund. Watch a video of the announcement here.  

Image Courtesy of TVA.

TVA recently announced that it has issued a Letter of Intent to Type One Energy, a leading stellarator fusion energy company and the first recipient of funding through Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Fund, regarding the utility’s interest in the potential deployment of Type One Energy’s fusion power plant technology at its former Bull Run Fossil site.

Infinity Two is a first-generation 350 MW baseload power plant utilizing Type One Energy’s stellarator fusion technology. The stellarator is currently the only fusion technology to have demonstrated stable, steady-state operation with high efficiency. Final decisions and definitive agreements regarding the funding and construction of Infinity Two and any agreements to purchase the energy output are subject to TVA Board approval, regulatory review, and alignment with TVA’s least-cost planning processes and federal priorities.

This announcement on Infinity Two follows Type One Energy’s previous announcement in early 2024 that it would establish its headquarters and expand research and development in Tennessee, including locating its stellarator fusion energy prototype, Infinity One, on the TVA Bull Run Fossil site. This initial investment will total over $223 million and create 330 jobs.  

TVA recently announced it will collaborate with ENTRA1 Energy to provide up to 6 GW of nuclear generation at TVA sites through the deployment of six ENTRA1 Energy plants. ENTRA1 aims to develop and own a portfolio of power infrastructure assets and sell the output to TVA under future purchase power agreements. A strategic partner of NuScale, ENTRA1 will drive the deployment, financing, investment, development, execution, and management of ENTRA1 Energy Plants with NuScale’s small modular reactors.

Image Courtesy of DENSO.

TVA, DENSO Manufacturing (a global automotive parts supplier), Silicon Ranch, and the City of Maryville recently ‘flipped the switch’ on a new solar facility at DENSO’s site in Maryville. The 12.82-acre energy infrastructure project will produce energy for DENSO’s operations and support the local power grid. The site includes over 4,000 solar panels and is expected to produce approximately 3,400 MWh of energy per year.

Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) and TVA recently celebrated the 350th Home Uplift renovation in MTE’s service territory, and the 7,000th such project through TVA’s broader program. Home Uplift is an effort to help income-eligible residents save money and improve energy efficiency. Since its launch in 2020, the partnership between MTE and TVA has brought the Home Uplift Program to hundreds of qualifying residents across Middle Tennessee. On average, participants save more than $400 annually on energy costs. Eligible upgrades may include insulation, ductwork replacement, water heater improvements, HVAC tune-ups, and new energy-efficient appliances.

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) in support of the Advanced Nuclear First Movers Initiative, a coalition of states that is committed to working with the private sector, U.S. DOE, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to accelerate advanced nuclear projects and bring more power to the electric grid for increased reliability, sustainability, and economic growth. Tennessee serves as a co-chair for the initiative. The RFI will inform the 11 First Mover states and other observer states on how best to create a coordinated orderbook strategy (e.g., a collective list of commitments from customers to purchase the same type of reactor) for advanced nuclear projects, a mechanism that will speed project development and lower costs. The RFI will provide the First Mover states and NASEO with information on a potential structure for an advanced nuclear project orderbook strategy, status, use cases for different nuclear technologies, and investment and coordination models.

The Tennessee AI Advisory Council's mission is to provide a collaborative source of knowledge, expertise, and information sharing to advance the State of Tennessee’s use of AI technologies in an ethical, adaptable, collaborative, and beneficial modality for all Tennesseans. The Council has created a short survey to assess how businesses in Tennessee are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for their operations and services. Survey responses will help inform the Council’s recommendations for sound policies and strategies regarding AI use and adoption. Survey responses are due by October 14.

The University of  Tennessee (UT) Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs podcast, You Might be Right, hosted by former Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam, recently released an episode titled, Do We Have Enough Energy to Power the Country? The episode featured Ragan Farr, Co-Founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch, and Shameek Konar, former CEO of Pilot and current partner and head of Energy at Ara Partners, discussing the changing demand in energy consumption and how changing policies affect energy in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Commercialization recently announced the expansion of the Quantum-in-Space Collaboration with new signatories, including EPB of Chattanooga. The Quantum-in-Space Collaboration brings together government, industry, and academic partners to advance quantum technologies in orbit. This collaborative effort aims to harness cutting-edge quantum technologies for pivotal advancements in national security, energy, and economic prosperity. EPB will support the effort by helping to develop technologies for quantum satellite-to-ground systems. Learn more about quantum information science from the U.S. DOE Office of Science.

U.S. DOE has opened applications for the Energy to Communities Program (E2C) Peer-Learning Cohorts. The E2C cohort program aims to advance local energy goals by convening community entities around a common energy topic. Participants meet regularly over approximately six months to exchange strategies and best practices, learn in a collaborative environment, and workshop policy or program proposals, action plans, or strategies to overcome challenges.

The next two cohorts will start in January 2026. E2C is currently accepting applications for the following cohorts:

The E2C Peer-Learning Cohorts website provides additional information on E2C and the upcoming cohorts. Applications are due October 31.

Innovation Crossroads is a Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) that supports and mentors entrepreneurial researchers whose early-stage innovations are presently too challenging or technically uncertain to pursue in a venture capital–financed start-up. Innovators are selected for the program through an annual competition. Innovation Crossroads embeds innovators at ORNL for up to two years to receive entrepreneurial mentorship and conduct cooperative R&D with the intention of incubating and translating innovations from proof of concept to proof of product. Applications are due November 7.

The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) aims to drive large-scale, regional economic transformation through collaborative projects. The funding opportunity seeks to strengthen Appalachian business and industry and grow and support the development of new opportunities. Projects will be funded up to $500,000 for planning projects and $10 million for implementation projects. All proposed projects must align with at least one of the ARC’s five strategic investment goals:

Eligible entities include local development districts, state and local government, institutions of higher education, and public or private nonprofit organizations and associations. Pre-applications are due December 5.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) recently announced the launch of 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.

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

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.

TDEC and Stone Mountain Technologies, Inc. (SMTI) will host the webinar, Gas Absorption Heat Pump (GAHP) Technology: Applications and Benefits for Facilities, on October 1 at 1:00 PM Central. The webinar will overview SMTI’s production-ready GAHP technology and how it can significantly reduce primary energy requirements for space and water heating in a variety of applications.

The webinar will highlight the U.S. Department of Energy-funded demonstration project taking place at King University in Bristol, TN. This project, Highly Efficient gas Absorption Technology for Energy Reductions (HEATER), includes a one-year pilot trial to showcase the potential of the lower-carbon heating technology. By combining innovation and real-world performance, the project aims to demonstrate how advanced GAHP systems can reduce emissions, lower energy costs, and support environmental goals on campuses and commercial-scale facilities.

The HEATER project team consists of TDEC, SMTI, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), and GTI Energy.  

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 for 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.

The American Museum of Science and Energy (AMSE) will celebrate Nuclear Science Week in Oak Ridge from October 20-24. The event will bring together civic, academic, non-profit, and corporate partners for a week of educational opportunities, workforce and professional development sessions, tours of historic and modern sites at U.S. DOE facilities, and family-friendly community activities for all ages, highlighting the latest developments in nuclear technology. View the week’s events here.

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 across the region. Speakers will include TDEC OEP’s Energy Program Administrator Erik Schmidt and representatives from TVA and the solar and storage industry. Sessions will address topics including solar and storage as a tool for economic development, an update on clean energy tax credits, and distributed solar and storage opportunities.

The Energy, Technology, and Environmental Business Association (ETEBA) will host the 2025 Business Opportunities and Technical Conference (BOTC) in Knoxville from October 28-30. ETEBA is a non-profit trade association representing over 250 small, large, and mid-sized companies and affiliate members providing environmental, technology, energy, engineering, construction, and related services. The conference will spotlight upcoming opportunities within government agencies and prime contractors across the energy, environmental, and defense sectors. Attendees can showcase their organization’s capabilities, cultivate strategic partnerships, and engage with industry leaders.

Infocast will host the Southeast Renewable Energy Summit on November 3-5 in Atlanta, GA. The event brings together state policymakers, industrial customers, utility executives, financiers, and renewable developers to tackle current renewable energy challenges. The summit provides definitive updates on project opportunities and execution across key Southeastern states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Attendees will learn how increasing demand has led to procurement and investment opportunities, the impact of state legislative and regulatory priorities on purchase power agreement negotiations, and how utilities across the region are planning to meet near-term service obligations.

ORNL and the Idaho National Laboratory will host the International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology (ISFNT) in Knoxville from November 9-14. ISFNT focuses on all technical aspects of fusion nuclear technology and other related disciplines. ISFNT is one of the main international events for the nuclear fusion field and offers an outstanding opportunity for the fusion community to meet, discuss new ways to address complex problems, and find advanced solutions in nuclear fusion technologies. The symposium covers both near-term fusion devices and long-term reactor fusion nuclear science and technologies.

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) will host its annual Opportunities in Energy event on November 19 in downtown Knoxville. The event will bring together TAEBC members and stakeholders to discuss all new and upcoming “opportunities” in the advanced energy sector, including trends, businesses, technologies, and other exciting developments. 

The Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance will host the Hydrogen Fuels Essential Infrastructure Back-up Power webinar on November 20 at 10:00 AM Central. The webinar will provide an overview of how hydrogen provides back-up power for data centers, first responders, and the military. Speakers will include representatives from TVA and the hydrogen industry.

The Business Council for Sustainable Energy and the Clean Energy Business Network recently released The State of U.S. Energy, which provides a current view of the benefits of energy investments in 14 states. The Tennessee factsheet highlights energy projects driving economic growth in the state and policy solutions to meet growing energy demand. It also includes facts on the state's generation mix, investment, jobs, and project case studies from energy businesses. The factsheet notes that $20 billion in capital expenditure has been invested in energy and manufacturing projects since June 2022, and that nearly 7% of the state's employment is in the energy industry. Download the Tennessee factsheet here.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) has developed a Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, a collaborative effort aimed at strengthening the future of nuclear education and workforce capacity building in the U.S. Led by the ORAU STEM Accelerator, this roadmap represents the combined expertise and dedication of educators, industry leaders, government agencies and other stakeholders working together to address the challenge of building a skilled and resilient workforce.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

August 2025

July 2025

June 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 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.