On Thursday, Seven States Power Corporation celebrated the installation of eight electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on the campus of East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The project was funded by students, powered by BrightRidge, and marks the 100th installation by Seven States Power in the Tennessee Valley since the company’s first installation in Johnson City in 2019.
“It was an exciting day as we celebrated the installation of eight electric vehicle charging stations on the campus of ETSU,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “This partnership will help enable the next generation of EV drivers. It also marks the 100th installation in less than three years in the Tennessee Valley by Seven States Power Corporation, which is a remarkable milestone for our company. We thank ETSU and BrightRidge for their partnership and hope today will serve as an example to other communities across the region.”
The eight Level 2 Clipper Creek EV charging stations were funded through student fees and are capable of providing 25 miles of range per hour for any electric vehicle manufactured for North America. The stations provide the equivalent of planting 66 trees by only being used seven hours each weekday, and as EV adoption grows, they will be able to provide enough electric fuel to reduce a level of carbon equivalent to planting more than 200 trees.
“BrightRidge is honored to support East Tennessee State University in its effort to ease the region’s evolution from fossil-fueled to electric-powered personal transportation,” BrightRidge CEO Jeff Dykes said Thursday. “Today’s event underscores the rapidly changing nature of transportation, and its partners like ETSU and Seven States that will help us achieve the goal of reducing range anxiety by ensuring we have ample charging capacity as these new models begin reaching our roads.”
“This has been a wonderful partnership, and we thank our friends with BrightRidge and Seven States Power Corporation for making this option available for members of the ETSU community,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “The presence of these charging stations on campus will help reduce any barriers to EV adoption and will also promote sustainable transportation in the Appalachian Highlands.”
