Partnership Yields Place for McCall on ORNL SecCom Industry Advisory Board
April 8, 2020

In much the same way that DER devices are connecting consumers to the electrical grid, a partnership established with the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in September 2019 is connecting us to a network of technology partners and a world of possibilities. Last fall, when ORNL leaders participated in our annual meeting held at their site just outside of Knoxville, Tenn., it sparked both a relationship and an invitation to Seven States Power Corporation’s Betsey Kirk McCall to join the technology lab’s SecCom Industry Advisory Board.

SecCom stands for “secure communications,” and the advisory board studies and solves grid security challenges stemming from an ever-increasing number of interconnected devices. The board is helping identify solutions that ensure resilient, end-to-end or point-to-point communications for the nation’s electricity infrastructure. The advisory board, which consists of cybersecurity experts, community-owned and investor-owned power companies and ORNL scientists, is focused on enhancing the cyber-physical security of generation and transmission systems.

“Fiber, sensors, distributed energy resources and other assets are operating on open networks, and that’s not a sustainable model,” said McCall, executive vice president of Seven States Power. “The assets must be secure to benefit the grid and the user, and we are honored to be a trusted resource to the team and excited to bring the expertise of other technology experts back to our members.”

McCall added that the SecCom Industry Advisory Board is helping her team learn about vendors, solutions and potential pitfalls as they prepare to offer a turnkey cybersecurity solution for members across the Tennessee Valley. Her team is working with NRECA and APPA to share information, develop educational materials and define a robust cybersecurity program for Seven States Power members.

Chattanooga EPB is also represented on ORNL’s SecCom Industry Advisory Board. EPB, a Seven States Power member company, is actively involved in testing both infrastructure and advanced concept solutions.

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Valley Update: Tennessee Valley Corridor & USDA

By Jessica Bradshaw • April 7, 2026
Seven States Power Corporation President and CEO, Betsey Kirk McCall, attended the Tennessee Valley Corridor (TVC) Board of Directors meeting in Washington, DC on March 4, 2026, joining regional leaders to discuss economic development, infrastructure investment, and the TVC’s upcoming National Summit. The TVC brings together stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to strengthen the region’s competitiveness and support long-term growth. McCall’s participation reinforced Seven States’ commitment to collaborating with regional partners to ensure the Valley’s energy systems continue to support economic expansion and community prosperity. During this visit, McCall also met with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service staff to discuss additional federal financing opportunities that could support energy development across the Tennessee Valley. The conversation focused on Seven States’ request for nearly $6 billion in funding to acquire natural gas generation resources across the Valley. An additional $320 million could support distribution-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), helping utilities strengthen grid reliability and modernization of the region’s power infrastructure. By strengthening relationships with federal leaders and advocating for policies that support growing energy demands in the Valley, McCall reinforced Seven States’ commitment to reliable, affordable and abundant power supply. McCall plans to attend the TVC's National Summit on May 28-29, 2026 in Chattanooga, TN to highlight the region's growth for economic prosperity.

State Update: Advocacy at the Tennessee State Capitol

By Jessica Bradshaw • April 7, 2026
Seven States President & CEO, Betsey Kirk McCall, spent time at the Tennessee State Capitol on February 4, 2026, meeting with legislators including members of the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, and the House Commerce Committee. A central focus of the meetings was providing an update on Seven States’ Energy Express project, an initiative designed to support growth in the Tennessee Valley with 220MW of battery storage. This project will be funded with a $439 million award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS) New ERA program. McCall shared how Seven States will leverage federal financing opportunities, such as their USDA award of $439 million along with access to additional federal funds, to build or acquire generation and capacity to meet energy demand across the region, particularly as TVA navigates its debt constraints. She updated the legislators on how funding available to Seven States complements and amplifies TVA’s efforts to maintain a reliable energy system. By pairing federal financing with regional expertise in project deployment, Seven States can help utilities of all sizes move energy projects forward. The Seven States team also successfully engaged in state-level advocacy efforts to help stop proposed legislation that would have imposed an additional tax on electric vehicle (EV) charging. Working alongside partners and stakeholders, Seven States communicated to lawmakers how the proposed tax could create unnecessary barriers to EV infrastructure development and slow innovation within Tennessee’s evolving energy and transportation sectors. These advocacy efforts serve to refine and advance initiatives that impact a rapidly changing energy landscape. Together with partner LPCs, Seven States is building and energizing the grid of the future.

Federal Update: APPA Legislative Rally

By Jessica Bradshaw • April 7, 2026
Seven States Power Leadership traveled to Washington, D.C., February 23–25 to meet with members of the Tennessee Valley congressional delegation while attending the American Public Power Association (APPA) Legislative Rally with the nation’s public power electric utilities. Seven States Board Chair, Jeff Dykes, (CEO, BrightRidge) and President & CEO, Betsey Kirk McCall engaged with federal leaders to advocate for more power supply, educate on the flexible financing available to Seven States as a generation and transmission cooperative, and build relationships with federal representatives on key energy issues. A central focus of the meetings was providing an update on Seven States’ Energy Express project, an initiative designed to support growth in the Tennessee Valley with 220MW of additional capacity. This project will be funded with a $439 million award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service. McCall and Dykes also led discussions highlighting how Seven States serves as an in-Valley solution to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s current debt constraint challenges. Through its financing capabilities, Seven States can own utility-scale power plants and double the impact of TVA’s capital investments, thereby expanding production and modernizing grid infrastructure. McCall and Dykes worked to educate policymakers about how aligning objectives and encouraging the use of Seven States as a mechanism for short- and mid-term financing solutions can unleash American energy faster. McCall plans to attend the NRECA Legislative Conference April 26 – 28 in Washington D.C. to continue these efforts with the nation’s electric cooperatives.
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