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 National Summit on May 28-29, 2029, in Chattanooga, TN. 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 USDA RUS 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 NRECA Legislative Conference April 26 – 28 in Washington D.C. to continue these efforts with the nation’s electric cooperatives.
Seven States Power Board Chair, Jeff Dykes, CEO BrightRidge, and President & CEO, Betsey Kirk McCall, 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. During the visit, 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 to discuss key energy priorities affecting communities across the Tennessee Valley. 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. The $439 million award will be financed with a zero-interest loan by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (USDA RUS). 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.
Since taking the helm as CEO, Michael has been instrumental in delivering innovative processes and technologies that are ensuring a reliable energy future for the more than 25,000 consumers served by Newport Utilities. Throughout his career, Michael has looked for opportunities to solve the most pressing needs within the energy sector. When asked about the most pressing needs for Newport Utilities, Michael stresses the need for reliability, visibility, and scalability. Solving for these needs translated into investments in grid hardening and automation, advanced metering infrastructure, SCADA modernization, and broadband expansion. Equally important was improving data integration across electric, water, wastewater, and broadband operations so they could move from reactive operations to predictive and preventative decision-making. Cybersecurity and resiliency—particularly for extreme weather events—were also critical priorities. While Seven States has not been directly engaged with Newport Utilities’ innovation initiatives, Michael recognizes that entities like Seven States are valuable when they can demonstrate the ability to align innovation with operational reliability, affordability, and long-term community value. When asked about what he would like for his customers to know about Newport Utilities’ role in bringing innovation forward he had this to say, “Innovation at Newport Utilities is not about technology for its own sake—it is about improving service reliability, resilience, and affordability while positioning the community for long-term economic growth. Our role is to be a careful steward of customer dollars while making forward-looking investments that reduce outages, improve response times, enhance transparency, and support businesses, schools, and public safety. When done correctly, most of this innovation is invisible to customers—but they experience it through fewer disruptions and better service.” Michael is excited about what the next five years holds for Newport Utilities. He is looking forward to expanded grid automation, advanced analytics driven by AMI and operational data, and deeper integration between electric, water, and broadband systems. Additionally, he believes battery storage, small-scale local energy production, and demand reduction programs will play an increasingly important role in enhancing reliability, lowering costs, and giving customers more control over their energy use. Ensure these technologies are deployed securely, cost-effectively, and in a way that maximizes community benefit while supporting economic development and long-term resilience is a priority. As for advice Michael would give to a new GM or CEO? Start with the problem, not the technology. Innovation should be tied directly to reliability, resilience, customer experience, or cost control. Build strong fundamentals first—governance, data quality, cybersecurity, and staff capability—before pursuing advanced solutions. Engage employees early, communicate clearly with customers and stakeholders, and be disciplined in measuring outcomes. Sustainable innovation is incremental, intentional, and aligned with the community’s long-term needs, not short-term trends.
