While Chattanooga is an engine for startups, the local tech space is dominated by institutions.
Few people understand how unique EPB is among its peers than Janet Rehberg, who came to Chattanooga’s electric utility in 2024 and will soon become its CEO.
“We’re pushing the bounds of what we can do in quantum to be ahead of everybody else,” Rehberg said.
EPB is using the cutting-edge technology to improve its electric grid and secure its fiber optic network, placing it ahead of other local utilities and making Chattanooga a destination for the future quantum workforce.
For a city its size, Chattanoogans work together well to pull off big feats in tech, said Charlie Mix, director of geographic information systems at UTC. Mix manages a tech better known as GIS, which is helping the city and the university make better decisions using location data.