Partnering with UTK, KUB on Electric Vehicle ChargePoint Station on Campus
November 2, 2021

Faculty, staff, students, and visitors commuting to the east part of campus now have a new option for charging their electric vehicles, thanks to a partnership between the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,  Seven States Power Corporation , and  Knoxville Utilities Board  (KUB).

The ChargePoint station is located in the Staff 7 lot across from the Wayne G. Basler Boathouse, and features a single unit with two charging ports. That location was chosen after students in UT’s  Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program  (Heath IBEP) evaluated potential sites based off of a variety of factors.

Heath IBEP students—who come from the  Haslam College of Business  and Tickle College of Engineering—will use relevant skills learned through the program to address whether current chargers need to be upgraded or replaced with smart chargers, monitor and give feedback on revenue as needed, and provide other educational opportunities.

Charging at the location will be available for a fee of $1 per hour for the first four hours, with the rate increasing to $2 per hour after that.

“Our program encourages students to come together and solve issues by approaching them from both a business and an engineering aspect,” said Mary Pile, who was Heath IBEP director at the time of the project. “This undertaking is the culmination of work that began last year when we got together with Seven States and KUB, but it doesn’t end with this installation. Moving forward, the goal is to help develop an overall campus plan regarding electric vehicle chargers that can be used for years to come.”

To put the fees in perspective, the cost to charge a vehicle at the station equates to between two-to-three cents per mile, compared to between 12-14 cents per mile for an average gas engine.

For Seven States, the addition is the latest sign of growth for the company, which now has more than 100 installations across the Tennessee Valley in less than three years.

“We could not be more excited to work with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and KUB on this installation,”  said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation.  “It is the latest example of the power of partnerships as we continue our work to build out electric vehicle infrastructure across the Tennessee Valley. We appreciate KUB, campus leadership, and the students involved in making this a reality.”

KUB, which provides public utilities to Knox County and parts of seven surrounding counties, helps promote electric vehicle use through its EV Charger Rebate Program, adoption of TVAs EV charger wholesale rate, and more.

“We’re proud to support the adoption of EVs throughout our service territory,” said KUB President and CEO Gabriel Bolas. “Partners like the University of Tennessee, TVA, and Seven States make our work toward a more sustainable future even easier, and we’re thrilled to see a new public charging station installed on campus.”

The site is the 24th EV charger installation on campus, but the only networked charger that offers the university real-time data for analysis, including evaluating the potential need for expansion to other locations.

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USDA RUS Assistant Administrator Chris McLean: ”We celebrate a bright and shining future…with first time program borrowers like Seven States”

By Jessica Bradshaw • May 27, 2026
Today marks a remarkable milestone as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) celebrated the 90th anniversary of the passage of the Rural Electrification Act and the tremendous impact USDA programs have had on rural communities across the country. For nine decades, USDA has played a vital role in strengthening infrastructure, supporting economic development, and ensuring reliable access to essential services in areas that power the Tennessee Valley and America every day. Seven States Power Corporation is proud to have been mentioned alongside this important work and be recognized in partnership as USDA continues to advance the energy industry. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to Assistant Administrator for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), Chris McLean, for recognizing Seven States and our new borrower status with USDA. Our partnership with USDA RUS represents an exciting new chapter for Seven States and reflects the shared commitment between our organizations to invest in abundant and affordable energy. “Once infrastructure is created, it must be nurtured, maintained, and improved over time. Today, we not only celebrate our history, we also celebrate our bright and shining future,” said McLean. McLean noted that USDA has longstanding relationships with borrowers dating back to 1930 and added that the agency is now working with new borrowers like Seven States. As energy demand continues to grow across the Tennessee Valley, we are excited about the opportunities this partnership creates to finance energy assets, expand power production and modernize grid infrastructure. Please join us in congratulating USDA on this special 90th Anniversary celebration!  Click here for the USDA press release and photos from today’s celebration event.

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.
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