Latest News

Episode 30: Jilleah Welch of the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs

Feb 11, 2025

Episode Description Today’s episode is all about the 2024 Tennessee Advanced Energy Economic Impact Report. Every three years, TAEBC releases an Advanced Energy Economic Impact Report to provide context for public officials and private sector leaders to make lasting contributions to Tennessee’s economic base for the next decade and beyond. The report was produced by the […]

Celebrating TAEBC’s 2024 accomplishments

Jan 31, 2025

Celebrating TAEBC’s 2024 accomplishments By Cortney Piper, Executive Director  Energy is ever present in our lives. We’ll always need it and we’ll always need it to be cleaner, safer, more secure, more efficient and more reliable – whether it’s electricity or transportation.  Our latest economic impact report shows Tennessee’s advanced energy sector is a point […]

Episode 29: The Company Lab and Moduly

Jan 14, 2025

Episode Description This episode covers a topic that’s at the heart of innovation: Fostering the growth of advanced energy technologies and startups right here in Tennessee. It will cover both sides of a startup journey — the entrepreneurs who are making waves and the organizations empowering them to reach the next level. First, host Cortney […]

Episode 28: AESSEAL and Solar Alliance

Dec 17, 2024

Episode Description This episode was made possible thanks to the support of Solar Alliance. In the episode, host Cortney Piper interviewed three representatives from two organizations about an incredible solar and storage project in Tennessee. Thank you to Chris Staackmann, Head of Operations of AESSEAL North America, and Solar Alliance’s President & CEO Brian Timmons and General […]

Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council Submits Comments on TVA’s 2025 Draft Integrated Resource Plan

Dec 12, 2024

Media Contact: Elena Hale | [email protected] | 865-329-0553 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) has formally submitted comments to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) regarding its 2025 Draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). TVA’s IRP serves as a compass for how to best meet forecasted energy demand in the Tennessee Valley region […]

Q&A with Board Member Robert Hardin

Dec 9, 2024

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council is a membership-driven organization led by our leadership team. Our Board of Directors are leaders in the state’s advanced energy economy and provide invaluable guidance for the organization. Today, we’re highlighting TAEBC Board Member Robert Hardin, Ph.D, Senior Quality Manager at WACKER. Learn more about WACKER here. Why (and […]

Episode 27: Anca Timofte of Holocene

Dec 3, 2024

About the Episode Host Cortney Piper speaks with Anca Timofte, CEO and co-founder of Holocene, a company focused on direct air capture technology and carbon removal. Anca shares her journey from Romania to becoming an entrepreneur in the climate tech space, highlighting her experiences in chemical engineering and business school. The discussion covers the importance of direct […]

Cortney Piper Honored with TREEDC Environmental Legacy Award at TREEDC Annual Conference

Nov 21, 2024

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Cortney Piper, Executive Director of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC), was awarded the prestigious Tennessee Renewable Energy & Economic Development Council (TREEDC) Environmental Legacy Award on November 14, 2024 at the TREEDC Conference in Cookeville. This honor recognizes Piper’s remarkable achievements in advancing clean energy and sustainable practices across Tennessee. […]

TAEBC Awards AESSEAL 2024 Tom Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award

Nov 19, 2024

Presented by Solar Alliance, the award recognizes one of the first large-scale solar + storage installations for private industry in Tennessee KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) awarded AESSEAL Inc. North American Headquarters with the 2024 Thomas B. Ballard Advanced Energy Leadership Award, which honors exemplary leadership and success in championing, […]

New Report Finds Tennessee’s Advanced Energy Sector Contributes $56 Billion to State GDP

Nov 19, 2024

Updated economic impact numbers reveal remarkable growth of advanced energy sector, accounting for over 420,000 jobs, nearly 15% of all jobs in Tennessee  Media Contact: Elena Hale, [email protected], 865-329-0553  KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The advanced energy (AE) sector in Tennessee grows faster than the overall state economy, employs 420,632 Tennesseans, and includes 22,554 businesses that contribute […]

Episode 26: Dale Harrigle of Bridgestone Americas

Nov 12, 2024

About the Episode Join host Cortney Piper for an insightful conversation with Dale Harrigle, Chief Engineer, Tire Development – Consumer Replacement, Bridgestone Americas. Dale discusses his decades-long career at Bridgestone and shares pivotal industry milestones, from the revolutionary introduction of silica in tire manufacturing to Bridgestone’s impressive global expansion. Hear about how the rise of electric vehicles […]

Holocene’s journey: From Stanford dorm room to Google deal and beyond!

Nov 7, 2024

By Keeton Ross, Co-founder and President, Holocene Like every good startup story, Holocene’s began in a university dorm room. During her time at Stanford in 2022, Anca Timofte, my co-founder and Holocene’s CEO, realized that some novel chemistry being researched at Oak Ridge National Laboratory had the potential to significantly impact the world and flip […]