Serving as Duck River Electric Membership Corporation’s President and CEO, James Wright has focused on innovative efforts that improve reliability, efficiency, and customer service. We asked him to elaborate on the technology and modernization efforts that have helped change his members’ lives, in addition to describing some of his team’s wins for their community. One of the biggest modernization needs has been giving people better access to information. Members expect timely updates and greater visibility into their electric service, whether that's understanding energy use, reporting an outage or staying informed during restoration efforts. Meeting those expectations has required investments in technologies that provide real-time visibility and communication, helping utilities operate more efficiently while delivering a better member experience. Here at DREMC, we're especially proud of the continued modernization of our electric system through advanced metering and outage management technologies. These tools help us identify outages more quickly, improve communication with members and give our team better visibility into the system. Innovation is most meaningful when it improves everyday service, and this investment has helped us deliver a more reliable and responsive experience for the people we serve. Wright also credits Seven States with serving as a valuable partner and creating opportunities for collaboration among LPCs as the Valley’s needs continue to evolve. Innovation can be challenging to tackle in isolation, and Seven States has been a valuable partner in helping utilities share ideas and learn from one another. Through events, peer networks and collaborative discussions, they've helped us explore new ideas, learn from the experiences of other local power companies and evaluate solutions that can improve service for our members. Innovation doesn't always start with a new technology. Often, it starts with a conversation, and Seven States does an excellent job of bringing people together to share knowledge, explore emerging trends and learn from one another's successes. Despite the rapidly changing technology in the Valley, the utility business remains rooted in personal relationships and customer service. Wright knows that people will always be the most valuable part of the model.  No matter how much technology changes, there will never be a substitute for people serving people. We can automate processes, improve system visibility and communicate faster than ever before, but at the end of the day our members still want to know there's a knowledgeable person ready to help when they have a question or concern. That personal connection has always been important to the cooperative model, and I believe it always will be. Stepping outside the utility world for a more lighthearted question, Wright was quick to name the person he’d most like to have dinner with. Elon Musk is one of the first names that comes to mind, as there are few people that have had more of an impact on our industry. Whether it be electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, demand response, data centers, or even space-based solar power, there is no doubt that we would have plenty to talk about at dinner!

GUNTERSVILLE, AL — October 2, 2026 — Electric Board of Guntersville and the City of Guntersville, in partnership with Seven States Power Corporation, today celebrated the ribbon cutting and official unveiling of a new battery energy storage system (BESS) and two electric vehicle (EV) charging ports at the Guntersville Senior Center. The project represents an investment in reliability, emergency preparedness and modern energy infrastructure for the Guntersville community. The battery system is designed to provide backup power to the Senior Center during outages, helping the facility continue serving residents when reliable electricity is needed most. The addition of battery storage will also enable the Senior Center to meet critical emergency preparedness requirements for designation as a FEMA shelter, strengthening its ability to serve residents during severe weather and other emergency events. “This project is about putting innovative technology to work in a way that directly benefits the people we serve,” said Jason Kirkland, General Manager of Electric Board of Guntersville. “By adding battery storage and EV charging at the Senior Center, we are investing in infrastructure that supports reliability today while preparing our community for the needs of tomorrow.” The City of Guntersville partnered with Electric Board of Guntersville and Seven States to bring a 261kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to the Senior Center, supporting an investment that strengthens the facility’s role as a vital community resource and enhances its ability to serve residents during emergencies. The battery unit will store energy during off-peak hours and be used as necessary to supply power to the facility during an outage or to deploy power for up to 2 hours back onto the Guntersville electric grid. The two new EV charging ports complement the battery installation by expanding access to charging infrastructure for residents and visitors. Together, the technologies demonstrate how community-scale energy projects can provide practical benefits while helping local power companies modernize infrastructure. “What makes this project special is its purpose. This battery is more than a piece of energy infrastructure, it provides another tool to help Guntersville care for its residents and keep an important community facility powered when it matters most,” said Guntersville Mayor Leigh Dollar. “Seven States was created to help local power companies turn opportunities like this into projects that deliver meaningful benefits in their communities,” said Betsey Kirk McCall, President & CEO of Seven States Power Corporation. The Guntersville project is part of Seven States’ broader work with local power companies across the Tennessee Valley to develop and finance energy infrastructure tailored to local needs.