Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

The Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW), hosted by the East Tennessee Economic Council, wrapped up its two-day run on Wednesday.

After a featured speech from David Salyers, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, who provided an update on the work of the Tennessee Nuclear Advisory Council that he chaired,  all eyes turned to a discussion with Charles Oppenheimer, Founder of the Oppenheimer Project and Oppenheimer Energy Ventures. He’s the grandson of  J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist who helped develop the first nuclear weapons during World War II.

The Oppenheimer Project seeks to reorient national and global priorities toward peaceful nuclear solutions and long-term sustainability. By emphasizing the constructive potential of nuclear fission—and reducing our reliance on weapons arsenals, it aims to replace the current climate of anxiety with a clear path toward security, prosperity, and shared hope for future generations.

During his presentation, Charles Oppenheimer coined a term that I heard many attendees repeating: “nuclear exuberance.”

Commissioner Salyers reviewed the work of the committee that began in late 2023 and concluded roughly 12 months later when it delivered its report to Governor Bill Lee (see teknovation.biz article here). The report produced more than $90 million dollars in follow-on funding to accelerate workforce development activities, the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) efforts to deploy a small modular reactor at the Clinch River site, and initiatives to grow the state’s base of suppliers to the nuclear industry.

In his concluding comments, the Commissioner quoted Deputy Commissioner Allen Borden of the Department of Economic and Community Development who is fond of this saying: “The most important thing in economic development is momentum.”

During a late afternoon session on the first day of the NOW event that was titled “Unleashing Tennessee’s Nuclear Future,” Stephen Streiffer, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, suggested it be shortened to three words: “Unleashing Tennessee’s Future,” a not-so-subtle reference to the fact that nuclear and the Volunteer State are literally linked at the proverbial hip.

That set the stage for a high-powered final panel that featured:

1. Brandon Gibson, Chief Operating Officer for the State of Tennessee;
2. Don Moul, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TVA; and
3. M. “Hash” Hashemian, President and CEO of Analysis and Measurement Services Corporation, and President of the American Nuclear Society.

Each offered their perspectives on how to advance the state’s nuclear industry.

1. Gibson said, “We need less talk and more action.” She also talked about the nature of government that is risk averse and the importance of being able to take risks and fail.
2. Moul noted that the need for energy to feed the increasingly thirsty demands for artificial intelligence is real.
3. Hashemian put a face on the challenge, saying it is funding.
4. Streiffer talked about the supply chain and the importance of workforce. Citing the Silicon Valley model that is based on moving fast and breaking things, he suggested a different approach. “We need to move fast and learn things,” Streiffer said.

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