Seven States Power Corp. welcomes James Ellis to the team as the company’s new vice president of partnerships and project development. Bringing more than 15 years of experience in sustainable transportation and clean energy projects, Ellis now holds responsibility for establishing and executing the company’s strategy for electrification and building Seven States Power’s significant collaborations.
Starting work on April 1, 2021, Ellis joins Seven States at an opportune moment to help local power companies achieve their EV-charging and clean energy goals. With more funding becoming available through state and federal programs, the potential for a rapid expansion of EV infrastructure is ripe. And Ellis believes the Tennessee Valley has a prime opportunity to lead the nation in EV adoption.
“With every major automaker committed to building EVs and with General Motors, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Toyota along with their OEM partners building EVs in the Valley, plus the research being done by our universities, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, EPRI, and other organizations here, the Tennessee Valley is poised for success as a leader in EV transportation,” says Ellis. “Seven States can bring all these diverse influences together to create a synergy that will allow our region to set an example for EV adoption for the rest of the country.”
Before joining Seven States Power, James worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority to advance electric transportation resources for local power companies, he led Nissan’s corporate planning for zero-emission mobility infrastructure strategy, was the Director of Electrification & Electric Vehicles at Pacific Gas & Electric, served as Senior Director for Utility Solutions North America with market-leading firm ChargePoint, and most recently led global utility engagement and fleet electrification strategy with Amazon.
“We are thrilled to bring James Ellis onto the Seven States team,” says Betsey Kirk McCall, president and CEO of Seven States Power. “With his extensive understanding of electricity as a transportation fuel, Seven States will continue offering and expanding end-to-end EV project delivery from grant application and equipment selection to budget development and full turn-key project management. We are excited to deploy innovative technologies that align with the LPC’s and TVA’s shared vision for distributed energy solutions to support economic development and carbon reduction efforts in the Valley. We believe James will quickly become an invaluable asset to our LPC partners as we empower them to be at the center of this transportation revolution.”