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Chattanooga-based Seven States to build grid batteries with $439M in federal funds

Contributed photo / A Seven States Power Corporation vehicle is pictured outside the BrightRidge Board of Directors meeting. The Chattanooga-based power co-op is partnering with the Johnson City-based utility to build grid-level batteries.

By Daniel Dassow May 27, 2026 4 min read

Seven States Power Corp., a Chattanooga-based energy cooperative, will use $439 million in loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build grid-level batteries across Tennessee.

The group announced a 20-megawatt installation in partnership with Johnson City-based public utility BrightRidge on Tuesday as the first investment of its Energy Express project.

Seven States won a $415 million zero-interest loan and a $24 million grant last year from the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. The nonprofit corporation is owned by its members, the 153 local utilities in seven states that buy wholesale electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Seven States was created in 2007 by TVA, the nation’s largest public power provider, and the local utilities that buy electricity from TVA. The co-op was established to help finance power plants, expand energy production and modernize grid infrastructure.