Strategic Partnerships Enhance Offerings
November 21, 2022

One of the major assets Seven States brings to its LPC member-owners is the valuable relationships it can leverage to get projects completed quickly and easily. In fact, it has never been easier for LPCs to tap into this growing network of relationships for the good of their customers.

Recently, Seven States has added two new industry leaders to its growing list of official partners: LightWave Solar and INTUITIVE.

Seven States has partnered with LightWave Solar to design, develop, and deploy solar solutions for LPCs with standardized pricing.

Although the company primarily operates within the Tennessee Valley, LightWave Solar is a nationally ranked industry leader. Since its inception in 2006, LightWave Solar has completed over 1,200 residential and commercial solar projects.

“The partnership between Seven States and LightWave will provide local power companies with a high level of solar expertise, and LightWave looks forward to helping LPCs meet their solar project goals,” said Chris Koczaja, President & CEO of LightWave.

Seven States and LightWave Solar have a history of successful partnerships, including the custom-designed solar parking canopy at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL, which was launched at the 2020 Seven States Annual Meeting, and the unique solar arbor at Rock City Gardens on Lookout Mountain, GA, unveiled at the 2021 Seven States Annual Meeting.

For more information about Seven States’ partnership with LightWave Solar, please contact Steve Noe, VP of Energy Resilience and Sustainability, at snoe@7spc.com.

Seven States also recently partnered with INTUITIVE Research & Technology Corporation to bring cutting-edge cyber protection to the Valley. This unique partnership has resulted in an innovative, managed cybersecurity service called the Grid Cyber Protection Service (GCPS) which is already protecting critical infrastructure while overcoming the staffing and budgetary challenges of going alone. Based on INTUITIVE’s DECIDE™Platform, GCPS is a comprehensive approach to critical infrastructure cybersecurity while remaining modular and integrated with existing investments in cybersecurity tools for even greater flexibility.

GCPS will make the entire region’s electrical grid stronger by supporting LPCs with a full-time cybersecurity staff, vulnerability and risk assessments, continuous monitoring and reporting, managed threat detection and correlation, digital forensics, malware/ ransomware protection, threat hunting, reconnaissance, and endpoint protection. For more information about the GCPS, reach out to Seven States’ BJ Bernard, Director of Technology Alignment, at bbernard@7spc.com.

INTUITIVE Senior Advisor Chuck Speaks added, “This partnership with Seven States will allow INTUITIVE cybersecurity subject matter experts to provide a one-of-a-kind service that addresses LPCs’ unique cyber challenges while overcoming common staffing and budgetary pressures.

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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.
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.
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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