Brian Taylor: Valley Innovation Ambassador
October 18, 2023

Brian Taylor knows how vital innovative partnerships and technology are in preparing the grid for the future.

Brian has led CDE Lightband as general manager since 2012 with a deep understanding of technological diversity and strategic partnerships. We asked him to share his experience deploying past projects with Seven States.

“Seven States has been pivotal in our transformation and preparation for the future. Quite honestly, it’s been a game-changer in what we’re doing. There’s so much change in our industry, and it’s coming at such a fast pace, that we can’t stay on top of everything internally. Seven States provides the resources we need at our fingertips, and with every project we’ve deployed, they’ve been with us every step of the way.”

Brian always considers how his customers view CDE Lightband’s investments in innovation.

“I want our customers to know that we are leaders in our industry and are bringing things into the system to improve system reliability and resiliency. Everything that we do – every single decision, whether it’s bringing in a new outage management system or being intentional in our social media communications – every decision is made to do our job more efficiently and at less cost to the customers.”

With 42 years of industry experience, Brian has learned that partnerships are fundamental to being an innovative leader. He offered this advice to general managers who might need support in bringing innovation to their community.

“My advice to any new GM in this industry would be to reach out to your peers. That’s first and foremost: reach out to folks who have already done it; don’t try to do it alone because there’s such power in collaboration. And then, secondly, call Seven States. That’s how important they are to the Valley. Any innovative-forward GM you reach out to would likely encourage you to call Seven States. ”

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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.

Federal Update: APPA Legislative Rally

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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