KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) has named Stuart C. McWhorter, Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), as the recipient of the 2025 Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award, presented by Orano USA.
The award celebrates exemplary leadership in expanding Tennessee’s reputation as a national powerhouse in advanced energy innovation, investment, and job creation.
Jean-Luc Palayer, President and CEO, Orano USA, presented the award to McWhorter during TAEBC’s 12th Annual Opportunities in Energy event held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in downtown Knoxville.
“The Commissioner and his team’s relentless commitment to establishing Tennessee as the nation’s new nuclear hub and their business-friendly collaboration were key factors in Orano’s decision to develop Project IKE – our multibillion-dollar uranium enrichment facility – here in Tennessee,” said Palayer. “We’re proud of being the first large nuclear energy company to locate in Oak Ridge after the creation of the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, opening the path for Tennessee to become the center of the nuclear renaissance in the United States. We are honored to present this award to our friend and partner.”
Under Commissioner McWhorter, TNECD has secured more than 260 projects, over 36,000 job commitments, and $21.5 billion in capital investments statewide – a significant portion tied directly to the advanced energy sector. Some examples include Ford’s $5.6 billion BlueOval City, LG Chem’s $3.2 billion cathode manufacturing facility, Ultium Cells’ expansion of its initial $2.3 billion battery cell manufacturing operations, Oklo’s $1.7 billion nuclear fuel recycling facility, and Orano’s multi-billion-dollar uranium enrichment facility. His leadership has helped position Tennessee as the #1 state in America for advanced energy growth, spanning electric vehicles and transportation, battery manufacturing, advanced materials, renewables, and nuclear innovation.
McWhorter also led the launch of the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Supply Chain Investment Fund, catalyzing Tennessee’s role as a national hub for advanced nuclear manufacturing, fuel enrichment, recycling, and workforce development. The fund has already supported a robust ecosystem of innovators, including Type One Energy, Orano USA, BWXT, Oklo, and Radiant Industries – helping secure Tennessee’s place at the forefront of clean power infrastructure that supports the global AI and data center industries.
Each year, TAEBC presents the Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award to a state or local leader whose contributions reflect the tireless dedication of Tom Ballard – a visionary connector, educator, and advocate for Tennessee’s advanced energy economy. The 2025 award is especially meaningful as Ballard recently announced his retirement after 56 years of service and leadership across Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee System, and PYA.
“Tom Ballard played a pivotal role in creating TAEBC and uniting organizations statewide with one goal – to strengthen Tennessee’s advanced energy economy,” said Cortney Piper, Executive Director of TAEBC. “But Tom never stops at ideas. He brought it to life by becoming TAEBC’s first president upon its launch in 2014 and serving on the board of directors until 2019. If we could bottle up the ‘Tom Ballard method’ of making things happen – his curiosity, generosity, and relentless optimism – our community would be set for life.”
A complete list of past Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award recipients is available here.
About the Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award
The annual award named for Tom Ballard, Chief Alliance Officer at PYA and Editor-in-Chief of Teknovation.biz, celebrates leadership, education, mentoring and advocacy in Tennessee’s advanced energy economy. Ballard was TAEBC’s first president upon its launch in 2014 and served on the board of directors until 2019. In 2019, TAEBC bestowed the first-ever Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award to Ballard himself, during TAEBC’s annual meeting at Schneider Electric’s Nashville Hub.
About Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council
TAEBC champions advanced energy as an economic development and job creation strategy. Advanced energy is technology neutral and includes electricity and transportation. Anything that makes energy cleaner, safer, more secure or more efficient is in the tent. No other entity in the state concentrates specifically on this robust sector. We educate public officials and business leaders about Tennessee’s advanced energy economy, establish strategic partnerships to connect assets with opportunities, and inform policy that expands and strengthens the industry. TAEBC hosts the Energizing Tennessee podcast, which explores the latest news and insights about the advanced energy sector. For more information, visit https://tnadvancedenergy.com.