Tennessee

What could the ‘nuclear renaissance’ hold for Tennessee? Thousands of high paying jobs

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

What could the ‘nuclear renaissance’ hold for Tennessee? Thousands of high paying jobs

The nuclear industry has a $9.8 billion impact on Tennessee’s economy, and a new study is exploring the potential of the state’s coming “nuclear renaissance.”

Tennessee would lead states in the Southeast when it comes to return on investment for constructing new nuclear reactors, along with the creation of related jobs and wages, according to trade association E4 Carolinas, which looked at the nuclear “fertile crescent” in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The Knoxville region is at the center of the nation’s nuclear renaissance. It’s home to about 150 nuclear companies, including the Tennessee Valley Authority, the federal utility that operates Tennessee’s two nuclear plants, and Kairos Power, a California-based company building an experimental advanced nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge.

The study modeled the hypothetical impact of investing $1 billion in constructing a new nuclear power plant using data from existing power plants.

Though there are no plans to build another traditional nuclear power plant in Tennessee, the hypothetical figures are a snapshot of the economic impact of new nuclear. TVA is developing what could be the nation’s first small modular nuclear reactors near Oak Ridge and several private companies are developing their own reactor technology in the state.

Of all five states, Tennessee would see the biggest economic returns on constructing a hypothetical new power plant:

16,154 construction jobs
$1.17 billion in wages
$2.05 billion economic output

The study estimated a new Tennessee nuclear power plant, once operational, could create big economic outputs, both directly at the plant and across all the companies that make operations possible:

1,128 jobs at the plant; 4,200 jobs overall
$203 million annual wages at the plant; $386 million annual wages overall
$1.02 billion annual economic output from the plant; $1.77 billion annual economic output overall

Tennessee colleges create nuclear workforce

Tennessee is readying to meet those workforce demands.

Gov. Bill Lee created a $50 million nuclear fund and the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council last year in a bid to make the Volunteer State the national leader in new nuclear energy.

Educating a local workforce is key to achieving the state’s goals, said Wes Hines, head of the nuclear engineering department at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a member of the council.

“The young kids nowadays want to be engaged in something that brings value to the world, and this is something that certainly can, whether you’re going into the medical physics area or whether you’re going into the power area to try and clean up carbon emissions,” Hines told Knox News.

Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville began partnering with ORNL last year to offer an associate degree in chemical radiation technology. Roane State Community College and Chattanooga State Community College also offer programs in nuclear technology.

This fall, Tennessee Tech University will begin offering bachelor’s degrees in nuclear engineering, creating a new alternative to UT, which has the oldest nuclear engineering department in the nation.

How nuclear fuels Southeast economy

Nuclear reactors — and the vast supply chains that make them possible — already contribute $42.9 billion and 152,598 jobs to the five-state region, the study said.

The five states are home to 25 of the nation’s 94 nuclear reactors and 13 of its 55 operating nuclear power plants. Most of these plants became operational in the 1970s and ’80s.

On average, the five states get 37% of their electricity from nuclear, far above the national average of 19%.

In addition to carbon-free electricity, one advantage of the nuclear industry is relatively high wages, the study found. The average wage across the nuclear industry in the region is $89,972, which is 65.5% higher than the average job in the region.

The study focuses on the nuclear supply chain, from fuel to plant operations to waste disposal, as well as research on related nuclear topics like medical isotopes for cancer treatment. It found 494 nuclear companies with 1,632 locations in the five-state region.

Here’s how Tennessee stacks up with the other Southeast states leading the way on nuclear power.

How Tennessee benefits from nuclear economy

Tennessee comes in second place for the highest percentage of electricity generated by nuclear power plants, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

South Carolina: 55%
Tennessee: 45%
North Carolina: 33%
Virginia: 31%
Georgia: 27%

Tennessee has two nuclear power plants operated by TVA: Watts Bar outside Knoxville and Sequoyah outside Chattanooga. Together, the plants have a capacity of around 5,000 megawatts, enough to power close to 3 million average homes.

Watts Bar Unit 2 became the first new U.S. commercial nuclear reactor of the 21st century when it came online in 2016.

The E4 Carolinas study did not include TVA’s third nuclear plant, Browns Ferry in Alabama, which is older than the Tennessee plants and can generate more electricity than any other TVA plant.

Tennessee has second biggest nuclear impact

In 2021, Tennessee was second only to South Carolina in the five-state region for nuclear industry economic impact, including total employment and labor income.

South Carolina: $11.1 billion
Tennessee: $9.8 billion
Virginia: $7.1 billion
Georgia: $5.3 billion
North Carolina: $4.9 billion

Tennessee leads the pack for wages:

South Carolina: 41,949 jobs with $3.17 billion in wages
Tennessee: 40,286 jobs with $3.2 billion in wages
Virginia: 24,704 jobs with $2.48 billion in wages
Georgia: 16,241 jobs with $1.56 billion in wages
North Carolina: 15,494 jobs $1.54 billion in wages

Daniel Dassow is a growth and development reporter focused on technology and energy. Phone 423-637-0878. Email daniel.dassow@knoxnews.com.

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Tennessee

In final address, Gov. Bill Lee credits TN economic, innovation gains

Published

12 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

In final address, Gov. Bill Lee credits TN economic, innovation gains

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee touted the state’s numerous economic achievements in his final annual Governor’s Address hosted by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, as he prepares to retire next year.

On stage at The Pinnacle March 10, Lee praised his administration’s work over the past seven years to lower poverty rates and expand industrial and economic diversity in the state.

But he pointed out that he has a lot to look forward to after leaving public office, namely his large family.

“It’s the best part of my life,” he said, chuckling. “People often ask me what I’m going to do next. And I say, ‘Well I have 11 grandchildren.’”

Lee emphasized Tennessee’s declining poverty rates, increasing educational scores and ability to attract a plethora of high-paying businesses as wins during his administration.

“We’ve watched our poverty rate fall below the national average for the first time in the state’s history,” he said. “People in Tennessee have greater access to opportunity than they ever have before.”

The number of economically distressed counties were “cut in half” in the last few years, thanks to increasing business opportunities, he said. “Distressed counties” is a designation of the nation’s poorest regions, according to the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“Our economy has attracted $55 billion in investment — just $11 billion this past year,” he said. “300,000 jobs created in our state in the last seven years.”

Lee called out companies like Starbucks, which announced on March 3 that the company’s southeastern U.S. corporate office is coming to Davidson County; In-n-Out, which is currently establishing a $125 million corporate hub in Franklin; software company Oracle, which is building a global headquarters on Nashville’s East Bank; Elon Musk’s xAi; Ford and more as drivers of prosperity in the state.

“They’ve figured out that the business environment is here, and the culture is what they want for their people, and the opportunity exists for them to be more successful in our state than they might be across the country,” he said.

He also praised the Music City Loop, the privately funded tunneling project helmed by Musk’s The Boring Company to connect Nashville International Airport to the Tennessee State Capitol Building. Despite recent Metro Nashville opposition, Lee called the project an “innovative new transportation model to “move people…without charging taxpayer dollars.”

“It’s very exciting to me what they might [represent] for the future of transportation in our city and beyond,” he said. “Despite the political arguments about that, the pragmatic business argument for that is incredibly exciting.”

Lee closed the speech thanking business leaders for their support during the past seven years of his administration.

“I could brag about this state for hours,” he said. “Because I’ve come to know her people, I’ve come to know her communities, her leaders, her uniqueness and her prominence, and I have been awed by what I’ve come to know in the past seven years. And I am honored. It’s been the highest honor of my life to be in the spot I am in.

“Our best days are ahead of us,” he said. “There will be a future governor that can (bring) better statistics, and better opportunity, and more hope for our people. And that makes me happy. There will be more, and there will be greater, and we together will share in what that looks like.”

Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@gannett.com, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham

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Tennessee

Furman beats East Tennessee State for SoCon title, NCAA berth

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Furman beats East Tennessee State for SoCon title, NCAA berth

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Cooper Bowser had 21 points and 11 rebounds as No. 6 seed Furman beat top-seeded East Tennessee State 76-61 on Monday night to secure the Southern Conference tournament title and an NCAA tournament bid.

Furman (22-12) won its eighth SoCon title in program history and first since defeating Chattanooga in 2023.

Tom House added 13 points off the bench for Furman and Alex Wilkins, who scored a career-high 34 to help rally from an 11-point halftime deficit in the semifinals, scored 12. Bowser was 9-of-12 from the field to help the Paladins shoot 51%.

Brian Taylor II scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half for ETSU (23-11), which was in the title game for the second time in three seasons. Blake Barkley added 14 points and Jaylen Smith had 10.

House made Furman’s sixth 3-pointer of the first half to extend the lead to 37-27 with four minutes left. The Paladins led 42-35 at the break.

Wilkins’ steal and fast-break dunk extended Furman’s lead to 72-61 with 2:11 left and Bowser added a hook shot in the lane on their next possession for a 13-point lead.

ETSU went 2-of-7 from the field over the final five minutes to halt a comeback attempt. The Buccaneers finished 3-of-16 from 3-point range and 10 of 18 at the free throw line.

The Buccaneers were trying for their first NCAA bid since 2020.

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Titans free agency: Tennessee signing offensive weapons to help QB Cam Ward, bolstering coach Robert Saleh’s defense, reports say

Published

2 days ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

Titans free agency: Tennessee signing offensive weapons to help QB Cam Ward, bolstering coach Robert Saleh’s defense, reports say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Let the spending spree begin. The NFL offseason is now in full swing as free agents are beginning to sign with new homes throughout the league ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in April.

The Tennessee Titans are among the top franchises with the most cap space in the league.

Latest: Tennessee Titans reportedly trade young defensive tackle for Pro Bowl defensive end from New York Jets

Previous: Tennessee Titans release center Lloyd Cushenberry

Below is a look at the free agents and moves the Titans have reportedly made:

Cornerback Alontae Taylor – three-year $60 million deal
Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott – three-year $45 million deal
Defensive tackle John Franklin-Meyers – three-year $63 million deal
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky – two-year deal
Tight end Daniel Bellinger – three-year $24 million deal
Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson – four-year $70 million deal
Long snapper Morgan Cox – re-signed one-year deal

Before the free-agency frenzy, the Titans released center Lloyd Cushenberry and also reportedly traded away defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat for Pro Bowl defensive end Jermaine Johnson.

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