Solar-voltaic training in TN

The Tennessee Solar Institute and ARRA funding have helped spawn a new course at the University of Memphis and elsewhere, designed to give students better math and science preparation for jobs in solar-panel installation and related fields. The CA reports.

Feds may fund R&D in Blount County

With an eye toward commercializing intellectual property flowing from Oak Ridge NL, U.S. Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander yesterday announced Senate appropropriations committee approval yesterday of $750K development of Pellissippi Research Centre. The full Senate must still approve the appropriations bill. The center(re) is being developed on 450 acres near Maryville in Blount County. The KNS reports. Apart from the R&D portion of the project, economic-development officials are creating an office-retail community, Pellissippi Place (artist's rendering, at left). The R&D park is to open by year's-end.