Image courtesy of the White House.

The President recently signed several Executive Orders (EOs) related to nuclear energy in the U.S. The EOs allow for reactor design testing at U.S. DOE National Labs, clear the way for construction on federal lands, and remove regulatory barriers by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue timely licensing decisions.

View the EOs in their entirety:

Governor Bill Lee recently signed Executive Order 109, ensuring Tennessee continues to lead the nation in workforce development by demonstrating an innovative strategy to meet the needs of the state’s dynamic and growing labor market. The Executive Order strengthens the State Workforce Development Board’s work by requiring a unified, results-driven approach that aligns education and training with the evolving needs of employers and high-growth industries. These efforts will further the work occurring in Tennessee to support nuclear workforce development beyond the $10 million in funding that the Lee Administration dedicated to the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) to support nuclear education, as was recommended by the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council. 

The Appalachian Regional Commission recently announced $494,000 in funding through its Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) program. The selected project, called SMART LLC, will impact eight counties across six Appalachian states and develop a plan to implement regional advanced nuclear workforce training programs to ensure Appalachia's workforce is prepared to take full advantage of nuclear industry expansion. SMART will engage industry partners, universities, community colleges, and technical institutions to assess existing nuclear training programs and identify gaps in skills and knowledge specific to advanced nuclear reactor technologies. Tennessee partners include the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

TDEC Division of Radiological Health Director Presents on Fusion at IAEA Meeting

TDEC’s Division of Radiological Health Director Beth Shelton represented Tennessee at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) technical meeting on design safety, safety assessment, and regulatory activities to facilitate further development and future deployment of fusion facilities. This international gathering brought together experts from more than 20 countries to develop the IAEA Safety Report Series titled “Safety and Regulation Considerations for Fusion Facilities,” which aims to build consensus on safety standards for fusion technology.

Director Shelton’s participation supports Tennessee’s efforts to develop a robust regulatory framework for fusion energy, positioning the state as a leader in fusion readiness.

Type One Energy Completes Formal Initial Design Review of Fusion Plant

Type One Energy, a fusion power company headquartered in Knoxville, recently announced that it has completed the first formal design review of Infinity Two, a fusion power plant design supported by TVA. The successful completion of the initial design review confirms that the Infinity Two technology approach, architecture, performance, and reliability requirements remain aligned with TVA and the broader global energy market's expectations for a commercially viable First of a Kind (FOAK) fusion power plant.

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter and other members of the TNECD team visited Roane State Community College as part of its ongoing #McWhorterOnTheMove series. During the visit, Commissioner McWhorter toured the campus, including the state-of-the-art nuclear operations lab made possible through TNECD’s Nuclear Energy Fund, and met with faculty who are shaping the future of nuclear energy in Tennessee. This lab exemplifies how strategic funding can create real opportunity, with many students securing jobs immediately after completing the program. Watch a short video on the visit here.

SkyNano, a Louisville, TN based sustainable materials innovation company, was recently awarded a $1.25 million contract from the U.S. Air Force. The 21-month project, in collaboration with American Energy Technologies Company (AETC) and Eonix Energy Company, aims to develop technologies that will establish a domestic, sustainable, and low-cost supply chain for battery-grade graphite. Both SkyNano and Eonix are alums of the Innovation Crossroads program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This award aligns with recent government efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals.

Image courtesy of Orano USA

Orano, a nuclear energy company, recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting in Oak Ridge for its office, which will support its new multi-billion-dollar uranium enrichment facility. The facility is the single largest investment in Tennessee's history and will produce enriched uranium to power current nuclear reactors and next-generation designs. The event included speeches marking the milestone by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, State Senator Ken Yager, and Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. Watch a video recap of the event here.

U.S. DOE recently announced vouchers from its Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) program for three companies, including a voucher for Standard Nuclear Inc., located in Oak Ridge, which will partner with ORNL. The vouchers provide companies access to extensive research facilities and expertise across DOE’s national laboratory complex to advance promising projects that can provide more reliable, secure, and affordable nuclear energy. Standard Nuclear will work with ORNL to assess the carbon and oxygen content in ceramic-coated TRISO fuel kernels to reduce the cost and inefficiencies associated with current testing methods, which consume fractions of the fuel materials during testing. 

Centrus Energy, a nuclear fuel and services company, recently hosted a Community Day at its Technology & Manufacturing Center (TMC) in Oak Ridge. Over 400 people attended the event, which offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at the advanced nuclear manufacturing site. The TMC is the only U.S. facility where commercial uranium enrichment centrifuges are built. The event included remarks from Congressman Chuck Fleischmann and interactive exhibits by the Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB).

TVA EnergyRight offers various types of support for business and industry partners, including energy efficiency incentives, revitalization programs, and strategic energy management. TVA provides no-cost energy assessments to customers with an electrical demand of 1,000 kW and greater to identify and quantify incentive-eligible energy efficiency projects. For industrial customers with an electrical demand of 3,500kW and greater, TVA and its LPCs offer the Strategic Energy Management program, which lasts two years and helps qualifying industrial customers increase profitability and achieve sustainability goals by reducing energy use and lowering carbon emissions. The program provides energy performance modeling, energy mapping, onsite engineering studies, and individualized monthly coaching, all tailored to help eliminate energy waste.

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.

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 East Tennessee Economic Council 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. View the draft agenda here.

The Southeast Energy Policy Forum will take place August 5-6 in Knoxville. The Forum is hosted by the Center for Energy, Transportation, and Environmental Policy, housed at the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It convenes industry leaders, nonprofits, ORNL, TVA, and government officials for accessible policy analysis, insights on the policy process, and policy-centered technical discussions about emerging technologies.

The 2025 Forum will foster discussions around four key questions:

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. Early registration discounts are available before July 4.

The 2025 Governor’s Conference, or GovCon, will be held November 4-5 in Murfreesboro. The event will bring together leaders from across the state to define what economic development means to communities. GovCon is the premier event for networking and collaboration, designed to elevate business, community, and rural development efforts across Tennessee.

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

Image courtesy of Orano USA

Summer has officially arrived, and the weather is heating up. EPA provides guidance on power outages and indoor air quality during weather events. If you experience a power outage, remember to use ventilation and shading strategies to help control indoor air temperatures when air conditioning or fans are not available. If you need temporary power, never use a fuel-powered generator inside your home, garage, shed, or similar enclosed areas. Fuel-powered generators must always be used outside in a well-ventilated area, at least 20 feet from buildings. Fuel-powered generator exhaust contains deadly carbon monoxide.   

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

Past Monthly Newsletters: 

May 2025

April 2025

March 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.