Craig Smith has been hired as the next conservation resources director for Seattle City Light, General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco announced today.
Conservation Resources Director Craig Smith
Craig Smith has been hired as the next conservation resources director for Seattle City Light, General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco announced today.
“I am happy to welcome Craig Smith to Seattle City Light,” General Manager and CEO Jorge Carrasco said. “His experience, leadership and connection to the Pacific Northwest will help us enhance our reputation as the Nation’s Greenest Utility by continuing to help our customers increase their energy efficiency and reduce their electricity bills.”
Smith, who lives in Seattle, is a seasoned utility executive, who is recognized as a leader in energy conservation.
He most recently served as CEO for Richard Heath and Associates in Fresno, Calif., providing program management and consulting services for governments and utilities. The organization oversaw low-income weatherization programs that reached more than 350,000 homes. He also served as vice chair of the board for the California Energy Efficiency Industry Council.
Prior to that, Smith spent 12 years at Snohomish County PUD in various roles, including assistant general manager overseeing a variety of areas, including energy efficiency. During his time at Snohomish PUD, the utility doubled its energy efficiency savings to about 1 percent of its customer load. He also chaired the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance board and raised $200 million to provide five years of funding for the organization.
Smith held leadership roles in other utilities, including Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). At TVA, Smith led the development of an energy efficiency component for the organization’s first integrated resource plan and was responsible for load management programs that reduced energy demand by 1,800 megawatts.
Smith is scheduled to start work at City Light April 1.
Seattle City Light is the 10th largest public electric utility in the United States. It has some of the lowest cost customer rates of any urban utility, providing reliable, renewable and environmentally responsible power to nearly 1 million Seattle area residents. City Light has been greenhouse gas neutral since 2005, the first electric utility in the nation to achieve that distinction.