12th Annual ‘Opportunities in Energy’ Spotlights Federal Leadership, Tennessee Innovation, and the State’s Growing Advanced Energy Economy
U.S. Department of Energy Chief of Staff Delivers Keynote Address
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) hosted its 12th annual Opportunities in Energy event on November 19, 2025, at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown University, convening hundreds of industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to discuss the future of Tennessee’s rapidly expanding advanced energy sector.
This year’s full-day conference featured a keynote address from Carl Coe, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a high-profile “Power of Three” panel with executives from the University of Tennessee System, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), twelve startup pitches from the region’s leading energy entrepreneurs, two award presentations, a new mobility innovation announcement, and a renewed emphasis on workforce development and industry partnerships with TVA.
DOE Chief of Staff Highlights National Priorities, Tennessee’s Role
Carl Coe, Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Energy, delivered the event’s keynote in a fireside chat moderated by Marianne Wanamaker, Dean of the University of Tennessee Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs. Coe, who helps oversee DOE’s 150,000-person workforce and $50 billion budget, emphasized the critical role Tennessee plays in national efforts around emerging technologies – including AI and data centers, quantum information science, fusion, nuclear energy, and critical minerals.
The “Power of Three” Discuss the Future of Tennessee Energy Leadership
One of the event’s most anticipated panel discussions, “The Power of Three,” featured Randy Boyd, President, University of Tennessee System; Stephen Streiffer, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); and Don Moul, President & CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), moderated by Cortney Piper, Executive Director of TAEBC.
Together, these leaders unpacked how the unique collaboration between Tennessee’s top academic, federal research, and energy institutions is shaping the Southeast’s energy landscape, accelerating grid innovation, strengthening U.S. competitiveness, and supporting statewide economic development.
Awards & Special Announcements
During the event, TAEBC honored statewide leaders and announced new investments in Tennessee’s energy innovation economy.
Jean-Luc Palayer, President and CEO, Orano USA, presented 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. The award celebrates exemplary leadership in expanding Tennessee’s reputation as a national powerhouse in advanced energy innovation, investment, and job creation.
Brad Chadwell, Director, Enterprise Research & Innovation at TVA, announced a $10,000 award to Eric Heikkenen, co-founder and CEO of NXT MFG, for NXT’s adaptive process control approach for 3D metal printing, and its potential to make industrial-grade additive manufacturing practical and accessible for electric utilities and other industries.
TAEBC also unveiled its newest industry partnership, The Spark Mobility Lab, a collaboration between TAEBC and the Spark Innovation Center, operating with support from Launch Tennessee. The new initiative, led by Spark Entrepreneur-in-Residence Bill Malkes, equips early-stage mobility founders with the technical and economic tools they need to scale by combining Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) training with direct industry engagement and investor readiness support.
Panels Explore Nuclear Advancement, Fusion, Workforce Readiness & Corporate Strategy
The event featured a series of in-depth panels exploring nuclear advancement, fusion innovation, workforce readiness, and corporate strategy. Amir Vexler, President & CEO of Centrus Energy Corp, led a discussion on restoring America’s ability to enrich uranium, offering insight into the nation’s evolving nuclear landscape.
A “First in Fusion” conversation with Type One Energy’s Matt Miles and TNECD’s Braden Stover, moderated by Tracy Boatner of the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC), highlighted Tennessee’s growing leadership in fusion energy development.
Workforce development took center stage in a panel featuring representatives from Roane State Community College, LaborUp, Tennessee Tech University, and IACMI – The Composites Institute, moderated by Robert Hardin, TAEBC Board President and Senior Quality Manager, WACKER Polysilicon North America, who discussed strategies to prepare Tennessee’s talent pipeline for emerging advanced energy careers.
Rounding out the program, the “Inside the Boardroom” session brought together TAEBC Board Members for a candid conversation on how industry can better work with TVA, including corporate priorities and sustainability strategies, and the business drivers shaping the state’s energy future.
“Tennessee is experiencing unprecedented momentum in advanced energy, and today’s conversations underscored just how powerful our innovation ecosystem has become,” said Robert Hardin, TAEBC Board President and Senior Quality Manager, WACKER Polysilicon North America. “When federal partners, industry leaders, world-class research institutions, and startups collaborate, we unlock new opportunities for economic growth and position our state at the forefront of the nation’s energy future.”
Photos from the event are available upon request. Learn more about TAEBC’s annual events here.
About Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC)
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.