2025 Annual Meeting in Review

Seven States Power held its highly anticipated Annual Meeting October 2-3 at Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, TN. LPCs, stakeholders, and industry leaders gathered to explore the theme of 'The Power of Connecting' and discuss key issues such as AI implementation, innovation in the Valley, and upcoming generation projects that are shaping the future of the energy industry. The meeting focused on collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing energy reliability to meet the evolving needs of Seven States members as well as addressing pressing challenges within the energy sector as a whole and ways to support the public power model to build the grid of the future.


During the Board and Membership Meetings, the Board of Directors recognized four directors with expiring terms and expressed appreciation to each for their years of service, leadership, and commitment to the organization’s path forward:


During the time together, the following members were elected to serve on the Seven States Board of Directors:


The full Board of Directors can be found HERE.

 
The Annual Meeting offered attendees the opportunity to hear from industry experts such as Don McDonnell (Worldwide Energy & Utilities Partner Leader, Amazon Web Services), Evann Freeman (VP Government & Community Relations, EPB of Chattanooga), and Rabo Garba (Southeast Commercial Energy Lead,  Google) to explore how AI and Quantum are emerging as two key resources helping modernize the grid and utility operations.


The event also featured  key LPC leaders who currently serve as Seven States Valley Innovation Ambassadors Brittany Davis (General Manager, McMinnville Electric System),  Scott Owens (General Manager, Benton County Electric System), Brad Coppock, (General Manager, Powell Valley Electric Cooperative), Clayton Dowell (CEO, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services), and moderated by Monte Cooper (President & CEO, Jackson Energy Authority); with discussions highlighting how innovative technologies, policies, and processes are changing how LPCs respond to peak demand, emergencies, and overall customer service.


Special guest, Doug McGowen (President & CEO, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water) joined Seven States' President & CEO, Betsey Kirk McCall, for a fireside chat to provide an update on the $439 million award ($415 million zero interest loan and $25 million no-match grant) received from the USDA New ERA program earlier this year. Named the Energy Express Project, the joint venture will be located in Memphis, TN to deliver new energy to the Valley through a 110MW solar generation plant and 100MW battery storage facility. Seven States is working with Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) and the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) to bring this opportunity forward. Read More.



As a result of ongoing advocacy, Seven States was also proud to announce the submission of two additional letters of interest to USDA for federal funding up to $5.6 billion to acquire 4,000MW of natural gas capacity and another $320 million to design, develop, and deploy 300MW of battery storage across the Valley. These two potential funding opportunities coupled with the Energy Express Project will help supplement the public power model with additional power supply during a time of increased demand for energy in our region.

 

Each year at our annual meeting, we present the Innovation Champion Award to an organization that embraces the spirit of innovation and exemplifies it in their operations. This year's recipient was Dollywood Theme Park. Accepting on behalf of the Dollywood team was Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company.  Naughton has served as the President of The Dollywood Company since November 2020. Under his leadership, Dollywood was named the 2025 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards No. 1 amusement park in the United States. Read More.


This year marks the fifth presentation of the Seven States Spark Award, which went to Allen Robbins, CEO of Sevier County Electric System (SCES). Robbins has served as CEO of SCES since August 2016 and has been with the organization for over 34 years. We are grateful for Robbins' leadership across the Valley and his invaluable service to Seven States as both a partner and former Board Member. We are honored to have worked with SCES on multiple project installations during his tenure.


Seven States was proud to partner with both Dollywood and SCES to unveil 7 new EV charging stations with 14 new charging ports as well as 10 solar-powered umbrella charging stations for use by visitors to the park. These projects are another step forward in advancing transportation infrastructure to support the growing demand for electric vehicles in East Tennessee. Designed, developed, and deployed by Seven States, the project reflects a commitment to innovation, community partnership, and serving Dollywood guests. Read More.


A notable theme throughout the Annual Meeting was the 'Power of Connecting' with member LPCs. Seven States Power reflected on its work over the past year in providing member-driven solutions and offering customized energy services that address emerging challenges. Ongoing initiatives in designing, developing, and deploying reliable and innovative technologies were highlighted as key contributors to success. 

 

Seven States reaffirmed its commitment to solving technology challenges incrementally with each LPC while solving them at scale for the Valley. Whether it’s large generation assets or distribution technology, if the solution benefits the Valley economy, you will find Seven States delivering it.