NOW 2026 Recap

NOW 2026 Menu

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann poses in front of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory booth during the NOW Conference at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. The conference brings together leaders from government, national laboratories, industry and academia to advance collaboration on nuclear technologies that strengthen U.S. energy security, innovation and economic competitiveness.

Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026 — Representatives from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Type One Energy pose for a group photo following the signing of a memorandum of understanding during the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) Conference at the Knoxville Convention Center. The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration on advanced fusion energy research and technology development, supporting the commercialization of fusion energy and strengthening U.S. leadership in next-generation energy technologies.

Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026 — Justin Eisenhauer, right, of Roane State Community College demonstrates the college’s robotic quadruped during the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) Conference at the Knoxville Convention Center. The interactive exhibit showcases robotics and emerging technologies that are helping prepare the next generation of the nuclear workforce while highlighting innovative tools supporting the industry's future.

OVERVIEW

ETEC’s 8th annual NOW Conference hosted 1,300 people, made up of experts in nuclear fission and fusion energy, national security, radioisotopes, environmental management, policy, regulation, reactors, and workforce development; 85 exhibitors; and 130 students. The total included representatives from 430 companies across 36 states, and 4 countries as well as numerous industry leaders, federal and state officials, supply chain companies, and national trade organizations interested in collaborating with nuclear companies in these fields. The 2 full-day conference and Atomic After Party was held downtown Knoxville in the Oak Ridge Corridor at the Knoxville Convention Center on Tuesday & Wednesday, August 4-5, 2026.

The 2026 agenda included remarks from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee; Congressman Chuck Fleischmann; NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams; DOE Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management Tim Walsh; Nuclear Policy Advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Jason Remer; Tennessee Commissioners Deniece Thomas and David Salyers; local Mayors and more. Senators Blackburn and Hagerty welcomed everyone through videos created for the event.

Photos from the conference can be found here.

SESSIONS & SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS

NOW 2026 featured panel discussions, keynote presentations, and fireside chats on the topics below.

Click Here to view the 2026 Agenda (For session summaries scroll to the end)

Click Here to see the 2026 Speakers

BUILDING MOMENTUM, SHAPING THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR

DAY ONE – From Strategy to Deployment

Keynote: Tennessee’s Nuclear Leadership
Federal Blueprint for America’s Nuclear Comeback
Tennessee’s Congressional Leadership: Nuclear Priorities
Securing America’s Nuclear Future: What’s at Stake
From First Pour to First Power: What It Takes to Deliver
Lunch & Keynote: Powering the Deployment Decade
Advanced Reactors in Action
Fueling the Future: Enrichment and Fabrication
Fuel Cycle Spotlight: Reprocessing Used Nuclear Fuel
Fireside Chat: Oak Ridge in Action: Three Missions, One Future
The U.S. Epicenter for Nuclear: Will We Deliver?
Atomic After Party Reception

DAY TWO – Innovation, Workforce, and What’s Next

Fireside Chat: Reclaiming America's Nuclear Leadership
Fusion: From Physics to Power Markets
Genesis Mission: Using AI to Win the Race
Powering the AI Future: The Need for Reliable Power
From Oak Ridge to the World: The Power of Isotopes
Lunch & Keynote: The Talent Equation
Workforce Demand: What Skillsets Are Needed?
Workforce Supply: An Inventory Overview
Where Nuclear Gets Built: The Role of States
Clearing the Path: Accelerating Deployment
Closing Session: The Road Ahead

Keep scrolling to see a list of some of the companies and organizations who attended.

ATOMIC AFTER PARTY

At the Atomic After Party, presented by Omega Technical Services on Tuesday evening, August 4, attendees enjoyed interacting with each other. Members of ETEC and the Oak Ridge community joined us specifically to welcome our conference attendees and all enjoyed heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

What was New at NOW?

"What's Your Problem?" Interactive Discussion Wall
Conference Mobile App
STEM Influencer - Xyla Foxlin
AMSEcast Live!
NOW Photo Backdrops
TCAT Mobile Welding Lab
Student Engagement Sessions on Networking and Job Growth
Automated Check-in Process
Conference Information Booth
Supporter Thank You Gift Wall

STEM INFLUENCER - XYLA FOXLIN

Xyla is a Mechatronics Engineer, Pilot & STEM Creator. She gave a keynote address on Tuesday, August 4, and did a Meet & Greet during the Atomic After Party, presented by: BHA Strategy.

Xyla is an award-winning mechatronics engineer and YouTube creator who shares the creativity and joy of engineering with over 500k subscribers and 41 million views. Her content blends technical skill, craftsmanship, and art. Featuring everything from proving impossible physics demonstrations to building a livable camper in just weeks, to high-power rocketry and organic chemistry. A Case Western Reserve University graduate and former tech startup founder, her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Verge, and Mashable. Based in Los Angeles, she spends her free time flying her 1946 Cessna 140, backpacking, and building big ideas.

THANK YOUS

We appreciate all the speakers and moderators, attendees, students, Tennessee Nuclear Network (TN²), and volunteers, who helped to make this year’s conference a huge success. But the biggest thanks goes out to all the supporters! Their presence at the NOW Conference goes beyond monetary support. It contributes to sharing the narrative of nuclear capabilities and our collective goal of learning, promoting, connecting, and networking. We are thankful for all 95 of them!

NOW 2026 SUPPORTERS

Alpha Safety
Amentum
American Museum of Science & Energy
American Nuclear Society (ANS)
Arcadis
AtkinsRealis
AVANTech
Baker Donelson
Barnhart Plant Service
Bechtel National
BHA Strategy
BWXT
C.A. Murren and Sons
Centrus Energy
City of Oak Ridge
CNS Y-12
Crate Pros
Curtiss-Wright
Deloitte
Design Innovation Architects
Edgewater Technical Associates
Edwards Supply
Enercon
EnergySolutions
Enrichment Federal Credit Union
Enveniam
ETEC/Tennessee Nuclear Network [TN²]
Fluor
Fusion Enterprises
Hensel Phelps

Kairos Power
Kendall Electric
Kiewit
Kiewit
Kyoto Fusioneering America Ltd.
LIS Technologies
Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA)
Lynx Supply
Management Solutions
Marsh
Materials & Chemistry Laboratory
Merrick & Company
Mesa Associates
Millennitek
MS Technology
Napakiak Environ. & Construction (NEC)
Navarro
Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)
Oklo
Omega Technical Services
Orano USA
ORAU
ORNL (UT-Battelle)
Paschal Solutions
Phillips Heavy
Piper Communications
ProServe
Quantum Containment Systems
Radiant Industries
Rockwell Automation
RSI

Scaled Atomics (formerly AvantTech)
Scientific Sales
Snap-On Industrial
Spectra-Tech
Spotted Cat Consulting
Stokes Electric
Strata-G
Survey and Mapping (SAM)
Swagelok
System One
TCAT - Harriman
TCAT Knoxville
Teledyne Browne Engineering
Tennessee Board of Regents
Tennessee Tech University
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Thompson Engineering
TN Bank
TN Department of Env & Cons (TDEC)
TN Dept of Labor & Workforce Development
TRISO-X
Turnkey Sales
Type One Energy Group
UCOR
Univ. of Tenn System & UT CIS
US IAEA Support (Argonne Nat'l Lab)
Westinghouse
White & Case
WM Symposia

NEXT NOW

Make plans NOW to join us in 2027! AUGUST 3-4 at the KNOXVILLE CONVENTION CENTER.

For information about the 2027 NOW Conference, click here.
For more information about the nuclear industry in Tennessee, click here.
To receive updates about NOW 2027, click here.

DAY 1 SESSION RECAPS - coming soon

DAY 2 SESSION RECAPS - coming soon

NOW 2026 Company & Organization Attendees

Below is a list of 362 organizations from 36 states and 4 countries registered as of July 28 out of the 430 organizations who attended NOW 2026. These represent industry, government, academia, research, non-profits, and other partners from across the nuclear ecosystem.

Acato Information Management
Accentuate Communication
Accenture
Adman Electric
Advanced Nuclear Advisors
Advanced Technology Group
Aggregate Technologies
Aleut Federal
Alliance Residential
Alliant Corporation
Alpha Safety
AMD
Amentum
American Ceramic Technology
American DND
American Institutes for Research
American Museum of Science & Energy
American Nuclear Society
AMM
Analysis and Measurement Services Corp
Anderson County Chamber of Commerce
Anderson County Government
Andrews Nuclear
Apollo Mechanical
APTIM
Aquafer Technologies
Arcadis
ARCO/Murray
Argonne National Laboratory
Assystem
Atkinson Consulting
AtkinsRéalis
ATS Industrial Automation
AVANTech
Avid Solutions
Baker Construction
Baker Tilly
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
Banda Group International
Barge Design Solutions
BARNARD Construction
Barnhart Plant Services
Bechtel National
Beehive Industries
Benchmark Health Physics
BESCO
BGR Group
BHA Strategy
Blaine Construction Corporation
Blanchard Horton
Blue Wave AI Labs
Burns & McDonnell
BWRx Studio
BWX Technologies
BWXT
BWXT Nuclear Fuel Services
C.A. Murren and Sons Company
Cadre5
Caputo Energy Advisory
Centrus
Century Construction Group
Champion Specialty Services
Chattanooga State Community College
City of Knoxville
City of Oak Ridge
Civil and Environmental Consultants
Cleveland State Community College
CNS Y-12
Cocke County Government
Colgate Palmolive
Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, Inc
Container Technology Industries
CONUAR S.A.
Crane Worldwide Logistics
Crate Pros
Cross Technologies, dba Cross Company
CTI and Associates
Curtiss-Wright
CyberLok Security Solutions,
Deep Isolation Nuclear
Deloitte
Department of Energy (DOE)
Design Innovation Architects
Dienamic Tooling Systems
DNV
DOE AMMTO
DOE NNSA
DOE Oak Ridge Environmental Management (OREM)
DOE Office of Energy Development
DOE Office of Science
DOE Office of Science and Technology Policy
Dominion Engineering
Doosan Enerbility
Drummond Carpenter
Dubose National Energy Services
East Tennessee Economic Development Agency
East Tennessee Human Resource Agency
Eaton Corporation
ECG Connections
Edgewater Federal Solutions
Edgewater Technical Associates
Edwards Supply
EGS
Empower Nuclear Services
ENERCON
Energy Communities Alliance
Energy Tech. & Environmental Business Assoc.
EnergySolutions
Enrichment Federal Credit Union
ENTEL Nuclear Intelligence
Enveniam
Environmental Alternatives
Envoy Public Labs
FirstBank
Fluor
FlyFission
FM Sylvan
Forte
Friends of ORNL
Fusion Enterprises
G Browne & Associates

Gallagher North America
Gallagher Security
GEL Laboratories
GEM Technologies
George Mason University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Geosyntec Consultants
Goldbelt Quantum Solutions
Hard Knox Life Advisory
HDR Architecture
Hensel Phelps
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hexcel Corporation
Hoffman & Hoffman
Hoffman Hydronics
HukariAscendent
IACMI
IBEW Local 270
icon Mechanical
Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium
Independent Environmental Geochemist
Industrial Board of Coffee County, TN
Industrial Development Board of Oak Ridge
Ingenium Professional Services
Integration Engineering
INTERA
Interstates
Int'l Fed. of Prof. & Technical Engineers
J. Brennon Construction
James Fisher Technologies
Jensen Hughes
JETRO Atlanta
Johnson Service Group
Just Homes Group
K&L Gates
Kairos Power
Keller
Kendall Electric
Kendall Group
Kentucky Office of Energy Policy
KeyLogic
Kiewit
Knoxville Entrepreneur Center
Kramer Rayson
Kyoto Fusioneering America
Lancs Industries
LATA - Los Alamos Technical Associates
LDA Engineering
LeBlanc Financial Alliance
LeCroy Strategic Advisors
Leidos
Leonardo DRS
Leybold USA
Lincoln Memorial University - Duncan School of Law
LIS Technologies
Longenecker & Associates: A Geosyntec Company
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lowercarbon Capital
Lynker
Lynx Supply
M&M Technical Services
Mac 5 Technical Services
Management Solutions
Marathon Fusion
Market Square Ventures
Marsh
Master Machine
Materials and Chemistry Laboratory
Matheson
MBI Companies
McGriff/MMA
Merchant & Gould
Merrick & Company
Mesa Associates
Microsoft
Middle Tennessee Electric
Milepost Consulting
Millennitek
Mirion Technologies
Morgan Corp.
Morgan County Economic Development Board
Morgan County Government
Motlow State Community College
MS Technology
MTN-INC
NAC International
Napakiak Environmental & Construction
NASEO
Natura Resources
Navarro Research and Engineering
NC State University
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg
North Wind Group
Northern Laser Cleaning
Nuclear Energy Institute
Nusano
NuScale Power
NVIDIA
NYSERDA
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce
Oak Ridge Corridor Development Corporation
Oak Ridge Housing Authority
Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation
Oak Ridge Schools
Office of Congressman John Rose
Office of Senator Bill Hagerty
Office of U.S. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann
Office of U.S. Representative Tim Burchett
Office of U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn
Ohio Northern University
Oklo
Omega Technical Services
Orano USA
ORTEC | AMETEK
Parsons
Paschal Solutions
Patriot Talent Solutions
PCI Promatec
Pelican Energy Partners
Pellissippi State Community College

Perma-Fix Environmental Services
Phillips Heavy
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Piper Communications
Pro2Serve
PYA
Quantum Containment Systems
R&S Logistics
Radiant Industries
Radiation Protective Systems by Alpha Safety
Realta Fusion
REAMCO
Red Castle Human Capital
ReNuke Services
Riley Power Group
RIZZO International
RMS Energy Co
Roane County Commission
Roane County Government
Roane County Schools
Roane State Community College
Robert Morris Consulting
Rockwell Automation
RSI
Rutherford Energy Ventures
S&ME
Sargent & Lundy
Savannah River National Laboratory
Scaled Atomics
Schneider Electric Federal
Scientific Sales
Sheet Metal Workers Local 5
Signature Labor Services
Skolnik Industries
SMART Local 5
Snap-on Industrial
Spark Innovation Center/UT Research Park
Spectra Tech
Spero Solutions
Spotted Cat Consulting
Standard Nuclear
Stanley Consultants
State Collaborative on Reforming Education
State of Tennessee - Governor's Office
StatSense
Steve Jones & Associates
Stokes Electric Company
Strata-G
Strategic Management Solutions
Strategic Packaging Systems
Strategikon Ventures
Street Legal Industries
Structural Technologies
Studsvik Americas
Surveying and Mapping
Swagelok North Carolina | East Tennessee
System One
systematic
TCAT - Harriman
TCAT - Knoxville
TCAT - Upper Cumberland
TechSource
Teledyne Brown Engineering
Tennessee Board of Regents
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce
Tennessee State Senate
Tennessee State University
Tennessee STEM Innovation Network
Tennessee Tech University
Tennessee Valley Authority
Terrestrial Energy
Tetra Tech HEI
TFE
The Ingram Group
The Roane Alliance
Thompson Engineering
Three Notch Group
Three Roots Capital
TKR Consulting
TN Bank
TN Department of Environment and Conservation
TN Dept of Labor and Workforce Development
TN Dept. of Economic & Community Development
TN Division of Radiological Health
Triangle Enterprises
TRISO-X
Turner Construction Company
Turnkey Sales
Type One Energy Group
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
U.S. Small Business Administration
UDR Consulting Inc
UniTech Services Group
United Cleanup Oak Ridge (UCOR)
University at Buffalo
University of Missiouri
University of Southern Indiana
University of Tennessee - Center for Industrial Services
University of Tennessee - CLEE
University of Tennessee - Tennessee MEP
University of Tennessee Knoxville - Baker School
USRA
UT Knoxville - Haslam College of Business
UT Research Foundation
Utah Office of Energy Development
UT-Battelle - Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Valmet Flow Control
Vanderbilt University
Veolia (VNS Federal Services)
Virginia Tech
Volkert
Westinghouse Electric Company
White & Case
Willis Towers Watson
WM Symposia
WSP USA
Young & Company
YTC