Energy and Environment Take Center Stage in Tennessee Governor Race

The upcoming election for Tennessee governor features two candidates with sharply contrasting positions on energy use, environmental policies, and technological priorities. Jerri Green and Marsha Blackburn have each outlined divergent visions for the future of Tennessee's land, air, water, and climate.

Role of the Governor in Environmental Policies

Tennessee’s next governor will have considerable influence over the state’s environmental trajectory. The officeholder will be able to veto legislation that favors polluting energy sources, challenge federal rollbacks on environmental protections, and direct state agencies’ funding toward improving air quality or reducing climate and heat-related risks.

Blackburn’s Focus: Nuclear Energy Expansion and Fossil Fuels

Senator Marsha Blackburn, the Republican candidate, has closely aligned her campaign with President Donald Trump’s energy agenda. According to the League of Conservation Voters, Blackburn has a lifetime voting score of just 3% on environmental issues. She has consistently voted in opposition to policies regarded as environmentally friendly.

Blackburn pledges to expand nuclear energy in Tennessee, specifically supporting projects like the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) planned small modular reactors in Oak Ridge. 'With ever-growing electricity needs, nuclear power provides a sustainable, efficient, and reliable source of power that won’t let Tennesseans down when they need it most,' Blackburn said in a statement to WPLN News. She has advocated for a nuclear 'renaissance,' arguing that Tennessee could lead the nation in advanced energy and clean coal technologies.

Last year, Blackburn co-authored an editorial with Senator Bill Hagerty urging TVA to increase its nuclear capacity to support emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The senators claimed that only nuclear energy could meet the vast power needs of AI, quantum computers, and advanced manufacturing, and that the U.S. was falling behind countries like China in nuclear development.

Record on Fossil Fuels and Related Legislation

Blackburn has also opposed restrictions on fossil fuel use, stating, 'I fully support the use of fossil fuels.' An analysis by the Center for American Progress found she was among the members of Congress who had received the highest donations from fossil fuel interests as of late 2025. Her legislative record includes votes against protecting funding for clean energy manufacturing and residential clean energy tax credits, as well as against the bipartisan "Great American Outdoors Act," which benefited public lands and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Additionally, Blackburn has disputed the consensus on climate change, making statements in recent years that contradict scientific findings of global warming due to fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and agriculture. She has denied support for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals, favored policies permitting pollution from industrial facilities, and backed congressional measures that could benefit extractive industries and real estate developers.

Jerri Green’s Platform: Environmental Protection and AI Data Center Moratorium

Democratic nominee Jerri Green, a Memphis lawyer and city council member, offers a contrasting platform focused on environmental protection, renewable energy, and climate resilience. If elected, Green proposes a statewide moratorium on data centers—a move aimed at preventing unpermitted, polluting power plants from being established by artificial intelligence companies.

Green is committed to enforcing clean air and water regulations, particularly in communities with high industrial pollution. She advocates for investing in renewable energy sources and holding utilities accountable for how they meet increasing demand, largely attributed to the rise of data centers in Tennessee.

Additional Policy Proposals by Green

Green’s campaign emphasizes the need to protect rivers, forests, farmland, and public lands from overdevelopment and pollution, seeking to preserve these resources for future Tennesseans. On education and workforce issues, she plans to implement AI literacy programs in schools and fine corporations that replace sizable portions of their workforce with AI, using the proceeds for job retraining. Green also wants to require data centers to use recycled water and to revoke tax breaks from companies that replace promised jobs with automation.

In rural areas, she promises to improve water systems, strengthen emergency protections for farmers, and enhance community preparedness for climate resilience and disaster recovery. Green positions herself as a candidate who prioritizes long-term environmental stewardship over short-term corporate interests.

Key Differences Moving Toward Election Day

As Tennessee approaches the gubernatorial election, voters face a clear choice between two candidates with divergent priorities on nuclear energy, data centers, fossil fuels, and environmental protection. The outcome may shape the state’s approach to balancing economic development, technological change, and natural resource preservation for years to come.

Source: wpln.org.