Stephen Smith

Executive Director

Dr. Stephen A. Smith has 30 years of experience affecting change for the environment. Since 1993, Dr. Smith has led the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) as its executive director. Under Dr. Smith’s leadership, SACE has grown to be a premier voice for clean energy issues in the region.

Dr. Smith currently serves on the State of Tennessee Energy Policy Council and on the Knoxville Mayor’s Climate Council. He also serves on the board of Floridians for Solar Choice. In the past, he has served on the North Carolina Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change and the North Carolina Climate Action Planning Advisory Group, the South Carolina Climate, Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee, and two terms on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Regional Energy Resource Council.

Dr. Smith holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Tennessee and a Bachelor of Science in biology from Kentucky Wesleyan College. In 2009, he and his family commissioned a 7.1-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system on their Knoxville home. Dr. Smith’s other areas of interest include flying, sailing, scuba diving, and beekeeping.

Stephen's Recent Posts

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Congressional Leaders Urge TVA to Transition to Clean Renewable Energy

Ten Congressional Senators and Representatives sent a letter to TVA President & CEO Jeff Lyash and Board Chairman William Kilbride urging TVA to transition to 100% clean electricity by 2035, noting that…

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Five Key Priorities for New TVA Board Leadership

On February 16, six new members of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board of Directors will join three existing members for the first quarterly TVA Board meeting of 2023 in Florence, Alabama.…

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We Are Being Called to Action as the "Clean Energy Generation"

A message from Dr. Stephen A. Smith, Executive Director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, on the defining fork in the road we are facing, and why we're being called to unite…

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