Kevin Murphy: Valley Innovation Ambassador
December 27, 2023

Kevin Murphy’s transition to President of Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation in 2009 was an opportunity to ensure his system was prepared for the future. He offered the following thoughts regarding how his LPC has navigated the deployment of needed technology:

“Southwest is trying to be at the forefront of bringing internet service to our area, and we’ve also helped different communities and co-ops get involved in this process.  We’re working with other co-ops and municipals in the area that already have internet service and have been building a big loop area so that if one part of it goes down, not all of it goes down, so we’re able to support them and keep the internet accessible to our members. We’ve also been working with Seven States on installing EV chargers at various points across our service territory. We’re really excited about the work that’s being done.”

Kevin wants his members to know that his team truly cares about their work and that they see keeping the lights on as one of the many ways they can positively impact the community. He emphasizes that approaching routine actions in innovative ways can make a world of difference:

“We have a ‘round-up’ program that allows our members to choose to round up their electric bill total if they’d like to donate, and in the last four years, we’ve given $1 million back into the community—all because our members rounded up their bills. It really makes a difference to local food banks and other programs. It’s overseen by a board that is made up of our membership. People can apply for grants and then the membership decides how to distribute the funds. The management of Southwest Electric supports them, but it’s all the membership’s decisions.”

Kevin is the first to say that Southwest’s positive impact on the Valley would not be possible without his team. His advice to general managers is to focus on your team’s strengths when deploying new technology.

“Take everything one step at a time. When you’re a new manager, you’re assaulted by everything. What helped me the most was having a great team on board.  There’s no way I can do everything—I have to have some good people. And I’ve got some doggone good people by my side. If you try and tackle everything, it’ll run over you, so lean on your team and take it one day at a time.”

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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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