NOW’s popularity reflected how busy the roughly 350 nuclear companies in Tennessee have been in recent years. There is significant work going on surrounding Gen IV reactor development and deployment, advancements in new nuclear fuels, and defense-related builds like the Uranium Processing Facility.
One of the key enablers of state industry is the Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, which was created by Gov. Bill Lee in 2023 and funded with $50 million to support the expansion of our nuclear energy ecosystem. Alongside the other 15 council members, I have worked to use those funds to support both industry and education in the state.
Some of those key educational institutions supporting the nuclear industry—including the University of Tennessee, Tennessee Technological University, and Roane State Community College—attended NOW as well.
After helping kick off the conference’s opening remarks, I spoke on a panel titled “Unleashing Tennessee’s Nuclear Future” alongside TVA president and CEO Don Moul, Oak Ridge National Laboratory director Stephen Streiffer, and state of Tennessee chief operating officer Brandon Gibson. I used my time to promote the rapid buildout of new nuclear projects, one of the key focuses of my presidency at ANS.
I advocated for robust financing from the federal government to support the private sector to help get deployment off the ground as soon as possible. I also emphasized that if the U.S. wants to stay ahead of China and Russia and maintain its nuclear leadership, that support must be on the order of $100–$200 billion in the form of power purchase agreements and direct investment.
NOW’s exponential growth in recent years reflects what Tennessee’s role in the nation’s nuclear future can be. It also shows the importance of state-level investment and support in the nuclear sector. If we keep this momentum up, Tennessee is sure to lead the entire U.S. into a strong nuclear future.
