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Host Cortney Piper interviews Dr. Chris Burns, Chief Executive Officer of NOVONIX, a leading battery materials and technology company with operations in the United States and Canada.

Recently, DOE awarded NOVONIX a $100 million grant and a $103 million tax credit under the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Allocation Program, or the 48C program under the Inflation Reduction Act. This funding has enabled the company to expand domestic production of high-performance synthetic graphite anode materials at its Riverside facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In this episode, Cortney and Chris speak about these announcements and what NOVONIX is doing to enable the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Learn more about TAEBC and NOVONIX.

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To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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Host Cortney Piper interviews Dr. Charles Sims, Director of the Center for Energy, Transportation and Environmental Policy, Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs, about the Valley Pathways Study. 

The Tennessee Valley Authority and the Baker School launched the Valley Pathways Study in February 2023 to evaluate the existing environmental landscape and explore opportunities to reduce carbon emissions and create a competitive, sustainable economy. 

In the episode, Cortney and Charles discuss key findings from the study and how to build a competitive, clean economy in the Tennessee Valley.

Learn more about TAEBC and the Baker School. Download the report here.

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To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Lilly Tench, Director of the Spark Innovation Center at the University of Tennessee Research Park. The two discuss the Spark Cleantech Accelerator program and how applications are open for Cohort Three until May 15, 2024. TAEBC is a proud partner of the Spark Cleantech Accelerator. We provide operational support and mentorship through our Energy Network program, which operates with support from Launch Tennessee.

• Spark CTA information and application 
• “Good Business: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Creating a Better World,” by Lilly Tench

Learn more about TAEBC and the Spark Innovation Center. 

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To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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In this episode, Host Cortney Piper interviews Monica Walker, Manager of Renewables & Energy Strategy at General Motors.

GM has a bold vision for the future. One with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Piper and Walker discuss GM’s renewable energy commitments, electric vehicle charging partnership with the Pilot Company and Spring Hill Manufacturing facility operations. They also cover how GM was an early adopter of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Green Invest program.

Learn more about TAEBC and GM.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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Host Cortney Piper interviews Jennifer Safavian, President and Chief Executive Officer of Autos Drive America. Autos Drive America’s mission is to grow the U.S. automotive industry by advocating for and defending open trade and investment policies that expand employment opportunities for Americans and choice for all consumers.

 Cortney and Jennifer discuss the international automotive presence in Tennessee, how the IRA and other recent federal policies impact the sector, and Autos Drive America’s 2023 Economic Impact Report. Their report found international automakers built 413,746 vehicles in the Volunteer State, creating 109,352 local jobs in Tennessee and contributing $15.7 billion to the state GSP.

Learn more about TAEBC and Autos Drive America.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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In what is likely Host Cortney Piper’s favorite interview to date, she interviews Liliana Ramirez, Global Director of Workforce Development at Ford. Ramirez is responsible for using cutting-edge strategies to build the manufacturing workforce required for BlueOval City and BlueOval SK Battery Park. 

In this episode, they discuss Ramirez’s 30+ year career at Ford, her passion for her work and how the company has changed since she joined in the early 1990s. The two also discuss Ford’s ambitious approach to workforce development, including BlueOval Learning and how it plans to fill 6,000 new jobs in West Tennessee!

Learn more about TAEBC and Ford's BlueOval City.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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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 technical societies led by UT Knoxville. TEAM TN’s goal is to position Tennessee on the leading edge of transportation electrification and digitization.

Learn more about TAEBC, the Center for Transportation Research, and TEAM TN.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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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 thermal management, dating back to the first radiator installed on the Ford Model T. Now, Modine is at the forefront of making zero-emissions mobility a reality for all vehicle classes and duty cycles. 

Listen to Piper and Bonini talk about thermal management and why it is so critical for electrification, how Modine is overcoming engineering challenges to keep heavy-duty EVs viable in dirty and severe environments and about Modine's presence in Tennessee.

Learn more about TAEBC and Modine.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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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 major electric vehicle and battery supply chain hub. The episode provides a bird’s eye view of the clean energy transition in Tennessee and beyond.

Learn more about TAEBC and Spector. Read more of Spector’s work on Canary Media, including his recent coverage of the region:

• The South is building the most vibrant EV and battery hub in the US
• Is the biggest US public utility finally catching up on clean energy?

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.

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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 million expansion at its facility in Charleston, Tennessee. We could go on and on. 

To discuss why so many advanced energy companies are choosing Tennessee, Host Cortney Piper will speak with Heath Jones, Managing Director of Hitachi Zosen Inova’s North American operations, about why the company recently relocated its headquarters and expanded its operations in East Tennessee.

Learn more about TAEBC and HZI.

Support the show

To keep up-to-date with the latest episodes, follow TAEBC on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok.

Thank you to everyone who makes this podcast possible, including the generosity of TAEBC members. Each episode is hosted by Cortney Piper and produced by Abby Hassler with production and marketing support from Sarah Johnson. George Middlebrooks of Aside Project Studio edits our audio.