As part of a modernization effort, KUB plans to upgrade its electrical grid by installing an extensive fiber system, which will provide a more reliable electricity service, better efficiency, and shorter downtimes in the event of power outages. The fiber system would also enable KUB to offer cheaper, ultra-fast internet to all households and businesses in its electric grid service area. This report documents the various benefits associated with expanding access to ultra-fast internet connections.

Many business leaders from across Tennessee responded to the Boyd Center’s second Business Leaders Survey, providing a unique perspective on Tennessee and the nation’s economy. Responses were provided between January 19 and February 1, 2021, which represents a very challenging time in the nation’s economy because of continuing COVID-19 issues.

Business formation is a critical component of local and national economic growth. The creation of new jobs and establishments from newly minted firms helps ensure the vitality of entrepreneurial activity in the United States. However, Pugsley and Sahin (2019) document a prominent and problematic 30-year decline in new employer business startups, something closely linked with "jobless recoveries." This is especially concerning given that nearly 20 percent of entrepreneurship stems out of necessity, as opposed to opportunity, during cyclical downturns (Fairlie and Fossen, 2019). The extent to which new firms are able to begin operating as innovative vessels during depressed economic times directly influences the pace at which the national economy can recover to pre-recession levels.