Stephen Smith

Executive Director

Dr. Stephen A. Smith has over 35 years of experience affecting positive change for the environment. Since 1993, Dr. Smith has led the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) as its Executive Director. Under his leadership, SACE has grown to be a premier voice for clean energy issues in the southeast region.

Dr. Smith currently serves on the Knoxville Mayor’s Climate Council and the board of Floridians for Solar Choice. In the past, he has served on the State of Tennessee Energy Policy Council, 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. His family home has an 11-kilowatt rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system with battery storage. Dr. Smith’s other areas of interest include flying, sailing, scuba diving, and beekeeping.

Stephen's Recent Posts

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We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

With increasingly catastrophic storms like Helene, we need to call the source of this destruction what it is – burning fossil fuels. Yet this message is not being elevated in our region…

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Former Commissioner: FERC's Transmission Rule will Benefit the Southeast

NARUC's statement about FERC Order 1920 did not paint a rosy picture. SACE Board Chair Ennis Leon Jacobs Jr., former Chair of the Florida PSC, decided to weigh in.

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Rising Up from the Bottom, TVA's $1.5 Billion Efficiency Announcement

TVA’s recent announcement that it will spend $1.5 Billion on energy efficiency and demand management over the next four years may be an important first step, marking a major transition for the…

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