NASHVILLE Gov. Phil Bredesen, former Sen. Howard Baker, and the University of Tennessees Baker Center for Public Policy will host the first-ever Governors Summit on Clean Energy Technology Oct. 14-15 at the Knoxville Convention Center.
The 1½-day summit, sponsored by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Tennessee Valley Authority, will be a gathering of thought leaders in business, government, energy and the environment to develop strategies for making Tennessee a leader in the clean-energy technology sector. The keynote speaker on the first day of the conference will be Stefan Jacoby, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America which announced plans to build its first U.S. assembly plant in two decades in Chattanooga last July.
Last year, global investments in clean-energy technology — everything from energy-efficient lighting to alternative fuels and renewable sources like solar and wind — topped $148 billion, according to the research firm New Energy Finance.
Innovation in the clean-energy tech sector is leading to higher skilled, better paying jobs, Governor Bredesen said. It also happens to be the right thing to do for energy and the environment. Globally, clean-energy technology could be one of Tennessees next great exports. We need to turn it to our advantage, and make it work for our great state.
The summit is an outgrowth of the Governor’s Task Force on Energy Policy and will feature more than 30 world-class panelists representing a wide range of businesses, issues and organizations. In addition to Governor Bredesen, former Senator Baker and Mr. Jacoby, confirmed speakers and moderators include: Sen. Bob Corker; TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore; ORNL Director Thom Mason; UT President John Petersen; and Appalachian Regional Commission Co-Chair Anne Pope.
A link to the registration site for the Summit can be found at www.tn.gov/energysummit and questions about registration can be directed to Ryan Gooch at ryan.gooch@state.tn.us or at (615) 741-1924.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to create higher skilled, better paying jobs for all Tennesseans. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. To find out more, go to www.tnecd.gov.
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