U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright recently visited Oak Ridge along with Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty and Representative Chuck Fleischmann. The visit included a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory to discuss energy independence, nuclear innovation, and the role of artificial intelligence in future advancements. The Secretary also toured the Clinch River Nuclear Site, where the TVA plans to build a next-generation small modular reactor.

The Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (TNECD) released its 2024 Annual Report, highlighting Tennessee's advancements over the past year. The report lists nuclear energy as one of the top industries in the state, with three new projects, 635 new jobs committed, and billions in capital investments in 2024, many of which were supported by the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Fund.

The Atlantic Council recently released a report entitled, “Atoms for Appalachia: The Role of Nuclear Energy in Economic Development,” which highlights Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and examines the role of advanced nuclear technologies in facilitating clean manufacturing and stimulating local and regional economic opportunities. The report recognizes the support of Governor Lee for nuclear energy, speaking to the creation of the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council and Tennessee Nuclear Energy Fund.

In episode thirty-one, host Cortney Piper interviews Ryan Egly and Daniel Gyampo of Schneider Electric to learn about microgrids and how the company partnered with Middle Tennessee Electric to build a microgrid at Schneider Electric’s Lebanon facility. They discuss the asset mix, site considerations, challenges, lessons learned, and what this project means for the future of energy.

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

The Spark Cleantech Accelerator supports early-stage cleantech businesses and drives commercialization of their technologies in Tennessee and throughout the Midwest and the Southeast. The Accelerator is a 12-week program that kicks off in late August at the UT Research Park in Knoxville. The program provides mentorship, connections, stipends, prototyping services, and business acceleration services to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs to help commercialize innovations. Applications are due May 16.

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 on 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. View all upcoming webinars here.

Reuters Events will host its SMR (Small Modular Reactor) & Advanced Reactor 2025 event in Nashville on May 12-13. The event is a senior-level meeting point for the SMR community and will include over 600 leaders from utilities, financiers, reactor developers, technology providers, and regulators. Attendees will hear case study insights from first movers, learn strategies to successfully navigate regulatory challenges, and hear methods to expedite deployment. Register for the event here.

The Tennessee Environmental Network Show of the South (TENSOS) will be held May 14-16 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Over the three-day event, TENSOS will host an elite group of environmental professionals seeking to exchange knowledge and share ideas about environmental concerns in Tennessee and across the Southeast region. Breakout sessions will cover a wide range of environmental topics, including energy-focused breakout sessions that will discuss alternative energy, including solar and hydrogen, and nuclear enrichment and fuel production. The conference schedule is available here, and interested attendees can register here.

The East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) will host the 2025 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) in Knoxville on July 22-23. The event will focus on all things nuclear: fission, fusion, isotopes, environmental management, AI in nuclear, and workforce. NOW is a place to learn about industry developments, opportunities, and advancements in research and technologies. Attendees will network and engage with experts from TVA, U.S. DOE and its contractors; a diverse array of small and large private-industry companies showcasing projects and technological capabilities; and students, interns, and postdocs. Register for the workshop 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 in the Tennessee Valley.

Think Tennessee, a nonpartisan think tank, launched an expanded State of Our State Dashboard, an interactive tool designed to help policymakers, advocates, and engaged citizens understand how Tennessee compares to other states across various indicators. Now in its seventh year, the dashboard includes more than 56,000 data points in a comprehensive dashboard that illustrates how Tennessee ranks nationally on 143 metrics across nine issue areas. The update comes during an exciting period of growth for Tennessee, with the state ranking in the top 10 nationally for several metrics, including high school graduation rate (2nd), road quality (6th), population growth (8th), and average price of electricity (9th). Find additional details on energy and environmental metrics in the report available here.

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

February 2025

December 2024

November 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

Acknowledgment: 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.