The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council is a membership-driven organization. As a value to our members, we highlight their efforts and impact on the state’s advanced energy economy. Today, we highlight TAEBC Member Betsey Kirk McCall, President and CEO of Seven States Power Corporation.
“Seven States is proud to serve as a Corporate Member with TAEBC. We benefit from their expertise in advanced energy assets as we work to design, develop, and deploy innovative technologies that strengthen the industry.” – Betsey Kirk McCall
Why are you a part of TAEBC?
At Seven States, we understand that no one solution will solve the energy dilemma quickly. Being part of TAEBC is a demonstration of our shared commitment to bringing technologies forward that enhance and/or expand the energy industry. We want to be part of the ecosystem that generates good ideas and puts them into action. With a heightened focus on energy, the work we’re doing together is more important now than ever. We recognize the opportunity that exists for new jobs, innovative strategies, and reliable power solutions that benefit everyone. This work has shifted from a “maybe” proposition to a “must” mandate. As DOE Secretary Chris Wright noted in this statement, we must address the energy crisis now, and definitively, by strengthening grid reliability and advancing new energy technologies. By exploring solutions at both the distribution and utility scales in tandem, we accelerate success. The conversations facilitated by TAEBC are leading the way for affordable, reliable resources to move the industry forward.
What value does TAEBC provide to your organization?
The team at TAEBC is intentional about gathering decision-makers from across the industry and providing a space for collaboration to emerge. With an eye toward job creation and economic development, they are providing clarity and cohesion to a complex topic in a way that their members can activate at scale. Moreover, TAEBC serves as an ally by supporting technology that makes energy safer, more secure, or more efficient. Where they advance ideologies around these technologies, we activate them. We depend on TAEBC to introduce concepts that we can effectively implement. This dual dynamic expedites absorption in the market and fosters better outcomes.
A Recent Win:
Our board of directors and team are excited to share that, earlier this year, Seven States received an award from the USDA for $439 million to build, own, and operate a 250MW solar power plant. The project will:
- Power approximately 113,000 homes and numerous businesses across a region covering TN, KY, MS, AL, VA, NC, and GA, and generate additional power for the attraction and retention of innovative economic development initiatives to the region
- Create over 100 jobs in the near term
- Deliver a purchased power rate approximately 55% lower than a project using private lending
This new energy resource will be constructed at a critical time as demand for low-cost reliable power continues to grow. We will be sharing updates on the project frequently at https://sevenstatespower.com/.
Additionally, Seven States is proud to introduce “Reliability as a Service” to our members and beyond. We recently partnered with Dickson Electric System and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) to deploy a 150kW – 2hr battery storage unit at Montgomery Bell State Park that will store and release energy back onto Dickson’s electric system. This initiative was made possible through the power of partnerships. It demonstrates how, together, we are leading the way in integrating new resources into the DER market.
Moving forward, we are capable of providing this service to our LPC members as well as businesses seeking to improve their energy reliability and decrease dependence on legacy systems, thereby improving the resilience of the grid overall. This is another way we are working to address the urgent need for reimaging the grid of the future.