As utilities continue evolving to meet changing member expectations, David Smart, President and CEO of West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (WKRECC), has focused on blending convenience with programs that directly improve quality of life. Smart points to both digital modernization and energy efficiency initiatives as areas where WKRECC has made meaningful strides for its members. One modernization effort that’s impacted our community has been the implementation of a mobile app and other digitized forms that make it easier for members to do business with their cooperative, including drive-thru registration and tablet voting at our annual meeting. Another would be Home Uplift initiatives, home energy audits, cold climate heat pump conversions and other programs we have implemented to improve the standard of living, comfort, and efficiency in our members’ homes. Innovation at WKRECC has also extended into advanced energy management and distributed energy resources. Smart elaborated on one of the cooperative’s proudest accomplishments involving internally managing demand and system performance. Our team is especially proud of our PowerShift Program, which utilizes our members’ whole home generators and batteries for demand response. The precision and application technology used has allowed us to offset our peak demand successfully. We have built our own DER gateway allowing us to meter, control, and interrogate home generators and inverters, and our own DERMS platform that incorporates an operational load forecast. Even as utilities embrace new technologies and digital tools, Smart believes some longstanding member habits will remain an important part of cooperative culture. Despite all of the technological advances in the utility world, I think many cooperative members will continue to pay their bill in person at one of our offices. Personal interaction and in-office service continue to matter for our members. In an industry focused on infrastructure and technology, Smart recognizes the value of strong communicators and trusted voices who help bring people and communities together. When asked a lighter question about who he’d like to have dinner with, he pointed to a well-known Kentucky figure who brings folks together. If I could have dinner with anyone, I would love to have dinner with the legendary voice of the Wildcats, Cawood Ledford. I think the stories he could tell would be enlightening and fascinating.
The second quarter of 2026 has been a productive period for the Seven States team, with much of the spring and early summer dedicated to engaging utility leaders, elected officials, community stakeholders, and the public to share the vision, progress, and benefits of the Energy Express Project. Members of the Seven States team had the privilege of speaking with leaders from BrightRidge, Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), and the Nashville Electric Service (NES). These publicly held meetings served as important forums to answer questions, share project milestones, and demonstrate how the Energy Express Project will modernize and strengthen the Valley’s electric infrastructure for decades to come. Led by Seven States, the project will deliver 220MW of battery storage capacity across multiple site locations in partnership with BrightRidge (20MW), MLGW (100MW), and NES (100MW). The project is backed by Seven States’ award of a landmark $439 million zero-interest loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS). A primary objective of the project will be creating a stronger, more flexible electric grid capable of meeting increasing energy demands related to the state's industrial, commercial, and residential sectors. The battery assets will charge during off peak hours and discharge during peak hours to help peak shave, reducing costs and grid strain while providing utilities with greater operational flexibility. Originally envisioned as a utility scale solar project, the initiative will now deploy battery storage as a standalone resource on the distribution system and the assets will be owned and operated by Seven States. The project's outreach efforts have been featured by local media outlets (highlighted below), and a dedicated website has been launched to provide project updates while offering the public an opportunity to submit comments and questions. As we continue advancing the project, we remain grateful for the opportunity to engage with partners across Tennessee and share our progress with the Seven States audience. We look forward to continuing these conversations with utilities, local governments, community organizations, and rate payers as the Energy Express Project moves forward. Together, we are building and energizing the grid of the future. POWERING UP: Chattanooga-based Seven States to build grid batteries with $439M in federal funds BrightRidge, Seven State Power Corporation partnership to bring battery storage to the Tennessee Valley MLGW and Seven States Power form partnership for battery storage MLGW, Seven States make deal to deploy battery storage Energy Express Project to Bring Battery Storage to Greater Nashville Nashville's power grid is about to get a boost. Here's how.
June 25, 2026 Seven States Power Corporation, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tenn., is pleased to announce that it will deliver a significant infrastructure investment to modernize the electric grid in partnership with Nashville Electric Service (NES), a municipal public utility based in Nashville, TN. The initiative, named the Energy Express Project, will deploy battery storage as a standalone resource designed to support peak demand, improve grid resiliency, and provide NES with greater operational flexibility. The project is backed by Seven States’ award of a landmark $439 million zero-interest loan and grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS). This announcement follows similar recent announcements related to additional project locations across the state in partnership with Memphis Light, Gas and Water in Memphis, TN and BrightRidge in Johnson City, TN. The approach reflects a strategic decision to prioritize dispatchable energy assets that can respond immediately to system needs. By focusing solely on battery storage, Seven States and its partners aim to enhance reliability, allowing the utilities to better manage demand fluctuations and unexpected outages while maintaining some of the lowest electric rates in the country. “The Energy Express Project demonstrates how federal financing, local ownership, and collaborative partnerships can accelerate deployment of advanced grid technologies to help manage growing demand to meet the region’s energy needs,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. “Battery storage provides an innovative tool that aligns with national priorities around energy dominance, affordability, and reliability.” Led by Seven States, the project will consist of 100 megawatts of battery storage capacity interconnected with NES’s electric distribution system. The batteries will be capable of storing energy from the existing grid and deploying it during periods of peak demand or system stress, helping stabilize the grid while reducing exposure to high-cost power purchases. “Our partnership with the team of experts at Seven States will allow us to deliver a battery solution that will modernize our grid, improve operations, and provide reliability for our customers,” said Teresa Broyles-Aplin, president and CEO of NES. “It gives us greater control during peak demand periods and supports our ongoing effort toward reliable energy distribution.” The battery installations will be constructed at several NES substations throughout Greater Nashville. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the project targeted for completion by December 2028. Once operational, the initiative is expected to support the electric needs of approximately 12,000 homes and businesses across the Greater Nashville area and create jobs during construction. Seven States will utilize the award from USDA to build 220MW of battery storage with its electric utility partners in west, middle and east Tennessee. The initiative is among the first of its kind in the Tennessee Valley and represents a significant investment in grid reliability and local energy infrastructure. Seven States and NES view the project as a model for future battery-focused investments across the Southeast.
