The Clarity Digest

A Quick Update on What’s Next for The Clarity Digest

Marc Schwartz — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 15:21:31 GMT

Over the past few months, the newsletter has been quiet. That wasn’t due to a lack of interest or direction, but because I needed time to evaluate where The Clarity Digest fits within my current bandwidth as a one-person operation.

When I first launched this publication, the goal was simple, to make complicated issues easier to understand. Over time, the coverage naturally drifted toward tech and energy, fields I enjoy and plan to continue exploring. But the depth required for those topics often demands more time than I can consistently give while balancing other responsibilities.

So I’ve taken this pause to reassess the approach. The mission isn’t changing, but the format will evolve into something more sustainable, more practical, and more aligned with what I can realistically produce.

Going forward, The Clarity Digest will lean more into what originally inspired this project, pulling back the curtain on the things most people never get to see. That means more hands-on, behind-the-scenes reporting that highlights the systems, places, processes, and work that shape life in Tennessee but rarely get explained.

Rather than high-frequency and timely coverage, the emphasis will be on thoughtful pieces that offer access, clarity, and perspective.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for being patient as I shape the next chapter of this publication. I’m excited for what comes next.

TVA Operations to Continue Despite Potential Shutdown

Marc Schwartz — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:43:00 GMT

The TVA service area spans seven states across the Tennessee Valley. TVA confirms its operations will continue even if the federal government shuts down. (Image: TVA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority will not be affected by a potential federal government shutdown, according to TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks. “TVA is funded almost exclusively from the sales …

How will a government shutdown affect Y-12 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory?

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 15:29:34 GMT

Workers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, home of the Frontier supercomputer, will remain on the job even if the federal government shutdown occurs. (Carlos Jones/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy)

With a federal government shutdown looming over many workers, employees at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex will continue to work for…

Oak Ridge council will meet with nuclear fuel recycling company officials on Thursday

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:34:56 GMT

From left: State Sen. Ken Yager; Lt. Gov. Randy McNally; Sen. Marsha Blackburn; Gov. Bill Lee; Jacob DeWitte, Oklo co-founder and CEO; Sen. Bill Hagerty; Congressman Chuck Fleischmann; Roane County Executive Wade Creswell; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Commissioner Bradley Crowell; TVA President and CEO Don Moul and Tennessee Department of Ec…

After tornadoes, storms and floods, NES is prepping Nashville for emergencies | Opinion

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:33:44 GMT

A truck spreads salt along the soundbound Interstate 65 at Old Hickory Boulevard on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 in Brentwood, Tenn. The winter storm warning for Middle Tennessee is in effect until Saturday morning. (Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean)

In recent years, Middle Tennessee has experienced several natural disasters. During each of those events — ranging …

Researchers say xAI has minimal air quality impact; Shelby County reports 9 West Nile cases

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:32:29 GMT

xAI logo is seen near computer motherboard in this illustration taken January 8, 2024. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

A team of researchers said the xAI data center in South Memphis isn’t contributing meaningfully to air pollution, while Shelby County has reported nine cases of West Nile Virus so far this year.

Also, Rep. Steve Cohen sent a letter to t…

Trump administration to expand coal leasing, fund coal plant upgrades

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 03:32:58 GMT

A drone view captures extracted coal as it is transported out of a beltline system during operations at the Black Eagle Mine in Packsville, West Virginia, U.S., April 12, 2025. (REUTERS/Adrees Latif)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration will expand coal mine leasing on federal lands and provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support more c…

Most coal-fired power plants will delay retirement to feed AI boom, energy secretary says

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 13:37:50 GMT

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright attends a Reuters Next event in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 25, 2025. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump expects most of the nation’s coal-fired power plants to delay retirement to help deliver the vast amount of electricity needed t…

Inside GM’s virtual assembly line where AI and VR revolutionize car manufacturing

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:11:01 GMT

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Solving manufacturing problems at a global automotive company used to require a lot more travel.

But General Motors employees today solve problems that require hands-on methods in the same room ― even on opposite ends of the country.

More effective than a Zoom screen and cheaper than airplane travel, virtual vehicle construction is just one way that virtu…

Political Scrutiny Emerges Over Oklo’s Tennessee Fuel Center

Marc Schwartz — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:07:09 GMT

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright holds a press conference on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, Austria, September 15, 2025. (REUTERS/Lisa Leutner/ File Photo)

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has raised concerns that Energy Secretary Chris Wright may be working in the interest of h…

Goal met: More transuranic waste from Oak Ridge shipped to Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in NM

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 03:44:57 GMT

Oak Ridge’s eighth and final shipment of transuranic waste for fiscal year 2025 left the site earlier this month, destined for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico for permanent emplacement. (USA TODAY Network)

The Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) has met its goal to complete eight shipments of transuranic waste to the Waste I…

Oklo’s "Waste to Gigawatts" Pitch Faces Historical Failures

Marc Schwartz — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:04:04 GMT

On Sept. 4, 2025, Tennessee officials announced they will partner with Oklo Inc., a California-based advanced nuclear technology company, to design, build, and operate a nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at the Oak Ridge Heritage Center in Roane County. The project is a $1.68 billion investment and will create 812 jobs. Oklo describes the project as the first phase of an advanced fuel center and expects to begin reprocessing fuel in the early 2030s, pending regulatory approval.

The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power provider, confirmed it has only a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Oklo at this stage. The utility said the agreement allows it to “explore strategic opportunities” that could later lead to more definitive projects.

State leaders frame the project as a win for jobs and clean energy. Oklo calls it the nation's first privately funded reprocessing plant. The public role is not zero. Tennessee will award Oklo a $13 million grant from the state's Nuclear Energy Fund, and the City of Oak Ridge will receive $3 million for the transfer of 166 acres at the site.

The stakes are high because the United States has tried commercial reprocessing before and failed. West Valley in New York operated, then shut down due to high costs, and left a cleanup that still costs money and time. General Electric's Morris, Illinois plant never started up and was repurposed for fuel storage. The Barnwell project in South Carolina was left unfinished after a shift in federal policy. Those efforts collapsed under economic pressures, new regulations, and proliferation concerns, with taxpayers ultimately covering the long-term cleanup costs.

Oklo’s plan tests whether new technology, a different business model, and today’s market can change the outcome. The company says the Oak Ridge plant would recover materials from spent nuclear fuel and supply metal fuel for fast reactors such as its Aurora design. Success depends on licensing, cost, waste management, and demand. Failure would leave Tennessee asking who pays — the company or the taxpayers.

TVA Partners with ENTRA1 to Explore 6 GW of SMRs

Marc Schwartz — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 20:22:19 GMT

Sequoyah Nuclear Plant is shown during a media tour in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. The Tennessee Valley Authority has announced an agreement with ENTRA1 Energy to explore developing up to 6 gigawatts of nuclear power using NuScale small modular reactors. (The Clarity Digest/Marc Schwartz)

Today, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation'…

Inside TVA’s Nuclear Future: A Tour of Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

Marc Schwartz — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:30:07 GMT

Driving to the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, the power lines multiplied with every mile. But what truly marked the approach was rounding a curve and seeing the cooling towers — two colossal stacks of concrete — rise into view. No steam drifted from them that day, the river conditions didn’t call for it, but the sight alone conveyed the scale of human engineering.

Cooling towers stand at the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. To the right of the towers is the discharge channel, where cooled water from the plant is released after passing through the tertiary loop. (The Clarity Digest/Marc Schwartz)

On Tuesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public utility, invited reporters to tour the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. Sequoyah is one of three operating nuclear plants in the TVA’s fleet. The tour showed how the plant operates and how TVA plans to keep it running for decades. It also detailed the work in each refueling outage, the realities of nuclear fuel and waste, and the Valley’s growing role as a national corridor for nuclear power.

TVA Board Shake-up: Privatization Push or Nuclear Power Play?

Marc Schwartz — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 19:28:55 GMT

Since returning to office in January, President Trump has fired three members of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board. This move left the board without a quorum and increased pressure on the remaining members to fire CEO Don Moul. TVA, a federally owned utility serving 10 million people and employing more than 10,000 workers, plays a crucial role …