News

TCAT makes update at Coffee Chamber

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology McMinnville (TCAT-McMinnville) recently updated local business leaders on its expansion efforts in Coffee County. Dave McDonald, Grants and Coffee Coordinator and Computer Information Technology Adjunct, served as the guest speaker at the Coffee County Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.

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Data centers cause rate hikes

After more than a decade of flat or declining electricity consumption, Tennessee is experiencing its first sustained surge in energy demand, driven in part by a rapid influx of data centers. According to a new research report from nonpartisan think tank ThinkTennessee, data center electricity consumption in the Tennessee Valley region grew sevenfold between 2020 and 2025, reaching 8.3 million MWh – enough to power more than 661,000 homes.

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