Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW)
Tennessee’s Premier Nuclear Industry Gathering
NOW 2024 Menu:
WHAT IS NOW?
NOW is ETEC's Nuclear Opportunities Workshop, Tennessee’s premier nuclear industry conference focused on all things nuclear: fission, fusion, isotopes, environmental management, AI in nuclear, workforce and more. For the past seven years it has been a place to learn about industry developments, opportunities, and advancements in research and technologies. Attendees can network and engage with experts from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its contractors, as well as a diverse array of small and large private-industry companies showcasing projects and technological capabilities. This includes interaction with students, interns, and postdocs as part of our efforts to grow the future workforce in Tennessee. Plus, there are opportunities for companies and organizations to promote their services during event.
SAVE THE DATE!
ETEC's next Nuclear Opportunities Workshop
will be a 2-day conference held
July 22-23, 2025
at the Knoxville Convention Center
Make plans to join us in the Oak Ridge Corridor for this growing, engaging, and informative conference.
Drawing over 600 attendees, NOW has become a vital hub for networking and knowledge exchange among leading professionals in the nuclear industry. In 2025, we'll welcome even more experts and enthusiasts from Tennessee and across the country.
NOW 2024 Recap
ETEC's 6th annual Nuclear Opportunities Workshop hosted over 600 attendees that included not only experts in both nuclear fission and fusion energy, national security, radioisotopes, environmental management, policy, regulation, reactors, and workforce, but also students and industry representatives interested in working with nuclear companies in these fields. The 2 full-day conference and Atomic After Party was held in the Oak Ridge Corridor at the Hilton Knoxville Airport on Tuesday & Wednesday, July 30-31, 2024.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee opened the conference with a welcome video created especially for the event. Click here to watch the video. Photos from the event are coming soon.
The panel discussions and atomic insight conversations covered a range of topics pertinent to the nuclear industry.
- Advanced Reactors: Pioneering the Future of Energy
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)’s Impact on the Nuclear Industry
- Department of Energy Priorities
- Energy Security: Safeguarding our Future
- Fusion Energy: From Theory to Power Grid
- The Future Begins with Cleanup
- Innovative Applications of Nuclear Technologies
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle
- Nuclear Workforce, Training, and Education
- Policy and Regulation Landscape
- Tennessee’s Nuclear Energy Advisory Council (TNEAC)
Insightful and informative keynote presentations were given by:
- Brian Smith, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors, Office of Nuclear Energy, U.S. Department of Energy
- Brandon Gibson, Chief Operating Officer, Governor's Office, State of Tennessee
- Candice Robertson, Senior Advisor for Environmental Management (EM1), U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management
Elected Officials joining us included:
- Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. Congressman, 3rd District Tennessee
- Randy McNally, Lt. Governor, State of Tennessee
- Ken Yager, Senator, State of Tennessee
- Terry Frank, Mayor, Anderson County, Tennessee
- Wade Creswell, County Executive, Roane County, Tennessee
- Sean Gleason, Councilman, Oak Ridge City Council
At the Atomic After Party, presented by Nuclear Services Partners, on Tuesday evening, July 30, attendees enjoyed interacting with each other and meeting the members of ETEC and the Oak Ridge community who joined us specifically to welcome our conference attendees.
New features were added to the NOW Conference in 2024:
- A technology-driven interactive session with the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council (TNEAC)
- Headshot booth where attendees received a free professional headshot
- Student hospitality room that hosted 2 of our academic partners, Roane State Community College and TN College of Applied Technology-Knoxville (TCAT). TCAT brought a hands-on interactive excavator training tool and custom etching demonstrations.
- Exhibit Explorer Activity for students to learn and interact with our 50+ supporters who had display booths in the exhibit area.
Speaking of students, we were pleased to have over 100 students in attendance. They made meaningful connections with companies there and many secured interviews with potential employers. We appreciate our Radiant Student Advocates, AtkinsRealis, NPower Solutions, Perma Fix, and UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute for supporting student attendees.
Significant news was announced during the conference:
- Type One Energy announced they will be locating their headquarters in the Hardin Valley area of Knoxville in the Oak Ridge Corridor. They have also closed their seed round with $82.5 million! Read more here.
- Kairos Power started construction of the Hermes Reactor in the historic East Tennessee Technology Park! Read more here.
- LIS Technologies is working on bringing laser isotope separation for uranium enrichment (LEU and HALEU) technology to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the East Tennessee Technology Park! More details will be coming soon.
- The dates for NOW 2025 were released. The 7th annual Nuclear Opportunities Workshop will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 22-23, 2025.
We appreciate all the speakers and moderators, attendees, students, ETEC’s Nuclear Working Group, and volunteers, who helped to make this year’s conference a huge success. But the biggest thanks goes out to all the supporters!
Thank you NOW 2024 Conference Supporters!
