Annual Meeting Underscores Renewable Energy Mission
October 21, 2020

Our members celebrated the Seven States Power’s achievements over the past year during the annual meeting at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., on Thursday, October 1. The annual meeting offered both in-person and virtual attendance, with more than 100 members and their families and guests coming together in person in Huntsville. Seven States Power President & CEO, Doug Peters opened the meeting which was then led by Seven States’ vice chair, Jim Farrell of Jackson, Tenn., Energy Authority.

Astronaut Dr. Don Thomas, who served on four shuttle missions, was the keynote speaker. He spoke about the perseverance required to accomplish goals and also shared the important role energy, in particular solar energy, has played in space flight and exploration.

Following Thomas’s inspiring speech, members voted on business items including approval of a bylaw change that clarifies a quorum of the membership as a whole shall be present for all Director elections. The change also streamlines and consolidates the provisions relating to the Board election process. The members elected two new board members and re-elected six. Erik Brinke was selected to replace Jeremy Nelms in the Southeastern District and Terry Wimberley will replace Jim Ferrell as the Western District representative. Ferrell served six years on the board (two full terms) and served in various leadership positions through the transition and growth of Seven States.

The real highlights of the meeting came when Seven States team members Betsey Kirk McCall, Clint Wilson, Steve Noe, and Brad Rains discussed how the team has carried out the Seven States Power mission to deliver innovative technology solutions and establish sustainable resources that aid in the economic viability of member-owned – and Seven States Power enabled – distributed generation and renewable energy projects across the Tennessee Valley.

The Seven States Power team has doubled the number of projects completed each year since 2018. In the past year, they logged more than 31,000 miles on the company’s hybrid Chevy Bolt travelling throughout the Valley to work on projects for 26 different local power companies. A total of 72 projects were completed with an additional 31 under contract and 48 more in the evaluation phase. Six local power companies have begun implementing solar generation projects with Seven States Power under TVA’s flexibility option. One of those projects is a unique shared solar array being brought online in a partnership between Appalachian EC, New Market, Tenn., and Morristown, Tenn., Utilities. Two additional LPCs are evaluating potential projects with Seven States. Project Liftoff, which was dedicated at the end of the meeting represents Seven States’ first completed solar installation.

Other successes include 64 completed EV charger installations including two DC-Fast Chargers with another 69 either under contract or in negotiation; two DER management systems being installed; and, three backup generator systems purchased for Volunteer Energy Cooperative, Decatur, Tenn.

The Seven States Power team also shared news about emerging products in their portfolio like battery storage, a middle-mile fiber network, cybersecurity and Electric Ride-Thru technology. The team discussed their role in a number of unique research projects with Tennessee Tech, the University of Tennessee and ORNL, and highlighted partnerships with the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, TenneSEIA and TVA.

The day closed out with the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the successful launch of Project Liftoff.

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June 29, 2026 The latest expansion of the Fast Charge TN network will open on Monday, June 29, in the parking lot of 175 Washington Street, across from Lost Pizza Company. The location of the Collierville site is ideal because of its proximity to the I-269 corridor and access to food and retail. The site has three Level-3 charging stations that can fully charge an electric vehicle in about 15-20 minutes.  With this site, there are now seven Fast Charge locations in Shelby County. Memphis Light, Gas and Water received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to open fast charging stations. The Collierville site is also a partnership with Seven States Power Company and the Town of Collierville.
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June 25, 2026 Seven States Power Corporation, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., is pleased to announce that it will deliver a significant infrastructure investment to modernize the electric grid in partnership with Nashville Electric Service (NES), a municipal public utility based in Nashville, TN. The initiative, named the Energy Express Project, will deploy battery storage as a standalone resource designed to support peak demand, improve grid resiliency, and provide NES with greater operational flexibility. The project is backed by Seven States’ award of a landmark $439 million zero-interest loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS). This announcement follows similar recent announcements related to additional project locations across the state in partnership with Memphis Light, Gas and Water in Memphis, TN and BrightRidge in Johnson City, TN. The approach reflects a strategic decision to prioritize dispatchable energy assets that can respond immediately to system needs. By focusing solely on battery storage, Seven States and its partners aim to enhance reliability, allowing the utilities to better manage demand fluctuations and unexpected outages while maintaining some of the lowest electric rates in the country. “The Energy Express Project demonstrates how federal financing, local ownership, and collaborative partnerships can accelerate deployment of advanced grid technologies to help manage growing demand to meet the region’s energy needs,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “Battery storage provides an innovative tool that aligns with national priorities around energy dominance, affordability, and reliability.” Led by Seven States, the project will consist of 100 megawatts of battery storage capacity interconnected with NES’s electric distribution system. The batteries will be capable of storing energy from the existing grid and deploying it during periods of peak demand or system stress, helping stabilize the grid while reducing exposure to high-cost power purchases. “Our partnership with the team of experts at Seven States will allow us to deliver a battery solution that will modernize our grid, improve operations, and provide reliability for our customers,” said Teresa Broyles-Aplin, president and CEO of NES. “It gives us greater control during peak demand periods and supports our ongoing effort toward reliable energy distribution.” The battery installations will be constructed at several NES substations throughout Greater Nashville. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the project targeted for completion by December 2028. Once operational, the initiative is expected to support the electric needs of approximately 12,000 homes and businesses across the Greater Nashville area and create jobs during construction.  Seven States will utilize the award from USDA to build 220MW of battery storage with its electric utility partners in west, middle and east Tennessee. The initiative is among the first of its kind in the Tennessee Valley and represents a significant investment in grid reliability and local energy infrastructure. Seven States and NES view the project as a model for future battery-focused investments across the Southeast.
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June 18, 2026 Seven States Power Corporation, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., announced in September a partnership with MLGW that would deliver a significant infrastructure investment to modernize the electric grid in partnership with Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) a municipal public utility based in Memphis, TN. Since that time, the project has expanded beyond its original scope. Originally envisioned as a combined solar-and-storage project, the initiative will now deploy battery storage as a standalone resource designed to support peak demand, improve grid resiliency, and provide MLGW with greater operational flexibility. The project remains backed by Seven States’ award of a landmark $439 million zero-interest loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS). The revised approach reflects a strategic decision to prioritize dispatchable energy assets that can respond immediately to system needs. By focusing solely on battery storage, Seven States and MLGW aim to enhance reliability, allowing the utility to better manage demand fluctuations and unexpected outages while maintaining some of the lowest electric rates in the country. “We are thrilled to build new electric infrastructure to support growing demand and meet the region’s energy needs,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “Battery storage provides a powerful, flexible, and innovative tool that aligns with national priorities around energy dominance, affordability, and reliability.” Led by Seven States Power Corporation, the project will consist of 100 megawatts of battery storage capacity interconnected with MLGW’s electric distribution system. The batteries will be capable of storing energy from the existing grid and deploying it during periods of peak demand or system stress, helping stabilize the grid while reducing exposure to high-cost power purchases. “This scalable battery solution allows us to modernize our grid and improve reliability for our customers,” said Doug McGowen, president and CEO of MLGW. “It gives us greater control during peak demand periods to support power supply to our customers across Memphis and Shelby County.” The battery installations will be constructed at several MLGW substations throughout Memphis and Shelby County. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the project targeted for completion by December 2028. Once operational, the initiative is expected to support the electric needs of approximately 12,000 homes and businesses across Shelby County and create jobs during construction. Seven States will utilize the award from USDA to build 220MW of battery storage with its electric utility partners in west, middle and east Tennessee. The initiative is among the first of its kind in the Tennessee Valley, demonstrating how federal financing, local ownership, and collaborative partnerships can accelerate deployment of advanced grid technologies. Seven States and MLGW view the project as a model for future battery-focused investments across the Southeast. Additional Related Articles MLGW, Seven States make deal to deploy battery storage; xAI solar sublease scrapped Memphis leads TN in lead service line removal efforts MLGW proposes battery storage projects to strengthen electric grid
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