Energizing Tennessee

Send us Fan Mail How can we advance mobility solutions for all Tennesseans? In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Dr. Kevin Heaslip , Director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  Heaslip also served as the Chief Executive Officer of TEAM TN, a partnership with the National Science Foundation and an alliance of 100 academics, industry, and...

Send us Fan Mail Host Cortney Piper interviews Gina Bonini , Vice President and General Manager of Advanced Thermal Systems at Modine. Modine is the only U.S.-based automotive thermal management provider for electric vehicles. They are headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, but the EV component manufacturing occurs at their plant in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Modine has a rich history of automotive the...

Send us Fan Mail In the first episode of Season 2,  Host Cortney Piper interviews Julian Spector , senior reporter at Canary Media, an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering the transition to clean energy and solutions to the climate crisis. The pair spoke about Spector’s recent coverage of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s decarbonization efforts and the Southeast’s journey toward becoming a maj...

Send us Fan Mail Today, we’re asking the question, “Why Tennessee?” Why are so many advanced energy companies moving to or expanding operations in our state?  In 2021, Ford committed to a $5.6 billion investment in West Tennessee for electric vehicle production at its BlueOval City campus. Last year, WACKER, a German-based polysilicon manufacturer and long-time TAEBC member, announced a $200 milli...

Send us Fan Mail For this episode, Energizing Tennessee is changing its format – or rather, its host – a little bit. Steve Seifried , Tennessee Account Executive for Ameresco and President of the Board for the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, is your guest host for today’s conversation. In this episode, Seifried and his guests will explore how manufacturers in our state are meeting thei...

Send us Fan Mail The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council has four commitments to our members. In this episode, we’re focusing on one: Foster the growth of Tennessee's advanced energy startups. TAEBC doesn’t just want advanced energy startups to launch in the state, we want them to grow, thrive and stay here. Today, we’re speaking with Harvey Abouelata , Vice President of Commercial Sol...

Send us Fan Mail Tennessee is rooted in nuclear energy innovation. And today, Oak Ridge is a thriving epicenter for next-generation nuclear technology. So, what are we doing today? And what does next-generation nuclear energy even look like? To dive into today’s topic, we’re first speaking with Tracy Boatner , President of the East Tennessee Economic Council (ETEC) , an organization dedicated to s...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve all seen the headlines: Lithium is key to making electric vehicles, but do we have enough to supply rapid EV adoption? Today, we’re speaking with two representatives from Piedmont Lithium , a North Carolina-based company that recently announced a massive project breaking ground right here in Tennessee. The company anticipates the new development will serve as the largest lit...

Send us Fan Mail We’re shining a light on the impact of solar in Tennessee. The International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2022 report predicts that in the next few years, the biggest source of electricity will be solar power. Meanwhile, the Inflation Reduction Act will usher in more high-paying solar jobs and tax credits for solar installations at homes, businesses and community solar projects. But...

Send us Fan Mail To close out the first half of our first season, we’re asking the big question: What’s the deal with hydrogen? Is it the silver bullet to solve all our decarbonization needs? From the utility sector to transportation—  we’ll speak with two industry experts to help answer these inquiries. First, we’ll talk with Jon Rodriguez, Energy Business Director - Engine Power Plants at Wärtsi...

Send us Fan Mail The age of the electric vehicle is here. Automakers are all in and the federal government is offering incentives to encourage the public to go electric and to create the infrastructure needed to enable wide-spread adoption. We need public EV charging stations to be just as available across the country as gas stations are now. To make this possible, Knoxville-based Pilot Company is...

Send us Fan Mail Consumers have questions about EVs and we have the answers! In this bonus episode released during the Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum & Expo and the Drive Electric Tennessee Momentum Summit, we're speaking with Ryan Stanton, Sr. Project Manager - EV Evolution at the Tennessee Valley Authority, and Alexa Voytek, Deputy Director, Office of Energy Programs at the...

Send us Fan Mail For the next few episodes, we’re continuing to explore the question: “How can we electrify Tennessee?” Today, we’re discussing how how Tennessee is quickly becoming #1 in the Southeast for the electric vehicle supply chain. Our guest for the show is Kel Kearns, Plant Manager at BlueOval City Electric Vehicle Center, who will speak about Ford’s $5.6 billion investment in West Tenne...

Send us Fan Mail Electrification is the future of the mobility industry. It’s no longer a dream or far-away possibility. Yet, we must come together as an ecosystem quickly to make it a reality. We need more investment in forward-thinking mobility technology. We need aggressive action from policymakers. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach to building an all-electric future. In the second episode...

Send us Fan Mail For the next few episodes, we will explore the question: “How can we electrify Tennessee?” In the first episode in this mini series, we will discuss how Tennessee plans to build out its EV infrastructure to facilitate adoption of EVs. In 2021, the Tennessee Valley Authority and TN Department of Environment and Conservation announced their partnership to develop a statewide EV fast...

Send us Fan Mail The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council champions advanced energy as a job creation and economic development strategy. We educate public officials and business leaders about Tennessee’s advanced energy assets, establish strategic partnerships to connect assets with opportunities, and inform policy that expands and strengthens the industry. In the introductory episode of Ene...

Send us Fan Mail The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council champions advanced energy as a job creation and economic development strategy. Advanced energy is a relatively new term but refers to any technology that makes energy cleaner, safer, more secure and more efficient. Energizing Tennessee, powered by TAEBC and FirstBank, explores the latest news and insights about the advanced energy sec...