FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 21, 2026

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) appreciates TVA’s commitment to ensuring a reliable and affordable electric system as demand across the Valley continues to grow. As TVA implements its new rate structure and framework for data centers, we encourage continued dialogue about how these customers can also serve as strategic partners in meeting the region’s unprecedented electricity needs through innovation, investment, and grid-enhancing solutions.

Hyperscale data centers are more than large electricity consumers – they are sophisticated energy partners with the financial capacity to invest in innovative solutions that can strengthen the grid, accelerate new generation, reduce electricity bills, and improve system flexibility. Tennessee should be exploring policies that harness those capabilities.

TAEBC remains committed to working collaboratively with TVA, policymakers, utilities, research institutions, and the private sector to develop technology-neutral, forward-looking solutions that meet growing electricity demand while maintaining affordability and reliability. That collaborative approach is the foundation of our Power Infrastructure Solutions Working Group – now the Tennessee Advanced Energy Infrastructure Coalition (TAEIC) – which was created to bring together major energy users, utilities, and energy providers to identify consensus-driven policy solutions that support Tennessee’s continued economic growth.

The challenge before us is not whether demand is growing; it is how we meet it. We encourage TVA to continue thinking creatively about how data centers and other large energy users can become part of the solution, and TAEBC stands ready to help identify innovative approaches that benefit all Tennesseans.

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.