Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Background

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy received its non-profit status in 1985 as the Tennessee Valley Energy Coalition to promote “responsible energy policies within the Tennessee Valley Authority” service area. It became SACE in 1999 upon its merger with groups in Florida, Georgia, and South and North Carolina. The organization extended its influence into the political arena when it formed the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund in 2007 as a lobbying and electoral-advocacy group. ^{2  3}

Activities

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, represented by Earthjustice, joined as a plaintiff-intervenor along with Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Climate Solutions, Plug In America, CleanAIRE NC, and West End Revitalization Association (WERA) in State of Washington v. U.S. Department of Transportation in blocking the second Trump administration from freezing funding for the electric vehicle infrastructure program. ^{4  5}

The SACE claimed on its 2024 tax return to spend $1,839,305 on the advancement of its weather-dependent energy programs by publishing, along with Atlas Public Policy, the 7th Edition of “Solar in The Southeast,” the 5th annual “Transportation Electrification” report, and a continuation of its “Electrify the South Collaborative” program. ⁶

The SACE states on its 2024 tax return that it spent $874,581 on its initiative to “raise awareness about how clean energy improves lives” by working with the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) and Generation 180 on the “Energy for all Y’all” campaign to highlight energy successes and inspire action by demonstrating the benefits of weather-dependent energy. ⁷

The organization also reported spending $302,619 on continuing its work with the Florida Energy Efficiency and Conservation Association against Duke Energy to achieve a settlement that increased funding for low-income energy efficiency programs and achieving an order that resulted in Duke Energy’s revision of its 2024 North Carolina Carbon Plan to target 1 percent of eligible sales. ⁸

SACE is opposed to nuclear power generation and supports weather-dependent power sources. In an article posted to its website on July 22, 2025, it states that the “TVA’s (Tennessee Valley Authority) nuclear ambitions are risky for customers. Here’s why the nation’s largest public utility should instead focus on proven, affordable, clean energy right now.” ⁹

Funding

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s website recognizes the Climate Imperative Foundation, the U.S. Energy Foundation, the Mosaic Environmental Fund (a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Center), the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the WestWind Foundation, the Climate Action Campaign, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Connected Grid Initiative, Earth Share, Community Shares, the Bancker Williams Foundation, and the Edna Wardlaw Charitable Trust as funders. The organization also receives support from Forth, a group that advocates electric cars, and the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN), whose membership consists of local government sustainability professionals throughout the Southeast U.S.. ^{10  11  12  13}

Grants

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy reported on its 2024 tax return grants of $300,000 to Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund, $35,000 to EVHybridnoire, $30,000 to Appalachian Voices, and $25,000 to Southeast Sustainability Directors. ¹⁴

Leadership

Stephen Smith is the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s executive director, a role he has held since 1993. He sits on the Tennessee Energy Policy Council, the North Carolina Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change, the North Carolina Climate Action Planning Advisory Group, South Carolina Climate, and the Energy and Commerce Advisory Committee, and he previously sat on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Regional Energy Resource Council. He sits on the Knoxville Mayor’s Climate Council and the board of Floridians for Solar Choice. SACE reported that Smith received $240,388 in salary in 2024, along with $14,850 from related organizations and $30,251 in other compensation. ^{15  16}

The President of the SACE board of directors is E. Leon Jacobs, Jr., an attorney and former member of the Florida Elections Commission, past chairman of the Florida Public Service Commission, president of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and chair of the Energy Market Access Partnership board. ¹⁷