"The industries that are built up around clean energy activity - whether its renewable, solar, changes in the automotive industry, energy efficiency for buildings and homes - are going to allow companies that get out ahead of that wave to prosper and create jobs," Mason told the conference audience.
Mason said Tennessee is attractive to clean energy business.
"These include the decision of some solar companies to locate in Tennessee," Mason said. "You also have companies like Nissan pioneering pure electric vehicles and Volkswagen with their clean diesel initiative. You have institutions like Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt and other research entities in the state generating some of the raw material for innovation."
ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy.