BusinessTN

By the time this edition of Business Tennessee reaches most subscribers, Tennessee will have elected a new U.S. Senator. The winner will have big shoes to fill. Given his high-ranking seat in the U.S. Congress, departing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has been one of the most powerful people in federal government. As such, Frist has influenced outcomes favorable to his home state of Tennessee in ways that will not be easily duplicated by a freshman Senator.

Two currently proposed federal research and development projects come to mind as fruits of Frist’s influence—the creation of a premiere homeland security lab and a new center focused on hastening America’s bionenergy capabilities. Each could mean big dollars and large-scale economic expansion for Tennessee.

The Feds recently whittled the list of candidates for the proposed new $450 million bio-agro defense lab to 14, which includes a unique consortium comprised of the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Lab, the University of Louisville, the University of Kentucky and the Pulaski County, Kentucky-based National Institute for Hometown Security. Together, the group proposes to site a lab in rural, lightly populated Somerset, Ky., not far from the Tennessee state line. Doing so could create 30,000 jobs in the region over the next three decades and make southern Kentucky (and East Tennessee) a hub for cutting-edge research on bioterrorism and food supply protection. Next is a proposed new bioenergy lab the Department of Energy plans to site at one of America’s federal labs. If selected, ORNL would receive $25 million in each of the next five years to develop cutting-edge research on cost-effective biofuels. Lab officials can say little about the proposal currently being put together, but Tennessee has clear reason for optimism as both the lab and UT have been pioneers among their peer groups in the study of the conversion of materials like switchgrass into alternative energy.

While there are many factors that go into making such selections—ORNL can certainly stand on its own earned merits and competency when going after such projects—it never hurts to have powerful politicians in your corner. Tennessee’s now senior Senator Lamar Alexander is emerging as an influential figure in the U.S. Senate. Third District congressman Zach Wamp, the only member of Tennessee’s delegation on the House Appropriations Committee (and a member of its homeland security subcommittee) will no doubt play a key role in landing either project. But Tennessee perhaps benefits most on the bio-agro lab proposal by having in its corner Kentucky congressman Hal Rogers, a man labeled by the Kentucky media as the “Prince of Pork” for his ability as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and as chairman of the subcommittee on Homeland Security to stimulate the flow of federal money for homeland security projects (including the Institute) to his native southeastern Kentucky—an area already referred to as “Silicon Holler.”

A decision on the siting of the bio-agro lab is expected by year’s end. Applications for the bioenergy project are due in February. Tennessee appears well-positioned to land one or both projects, but as the dust settles on the November elections, it’s worth pondering that at some post in the post-Frist era, Tennesseans are bound to get a sobering taste of waning federal influence.

Editor (615)843-8000, ext. 215