Southern Alliance for Clean Energy
Encyclopedia
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) is a non-profit, nonpartisan energy watchdog group based in the Southeastern United States (Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia). SACE was originally organized under the name Tennessee Valley Energy Coalition (TVEC) in 1985. Since its inception, SACE has been a prominent leader in the region and advocate for energy reform with the goal of protecting and preserving the natural resources of the Southeast and ensuring their sustainable use.Dr. Stephen A. Smith became executive director of SACE in 1993. Smith was recently appointed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to serve on its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Stakeholder Review Group.
Since 1985 SACE/TVEC was active in preventing the construction of a number of nuclear plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) area. Its operations have since expanded to address a variety of issues relating to energy and the environment, such as electric coal generation practices, mountaintop removal
, and climate change
. SACE has also been a strong advocate for the increased use of energy efficiency
technologies to promote the more efficient and effective use of energy resources currently in use in the Southeastern United States.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has substantially increased its operations in recent years. SACE now operates offices in Knoxville, TN; Asheville, NC; Atlanta, GA and is represented on various state utility boards and energy committees. It continues to act as an advocate for clean energy in a variety of forums.
In January of 2009, Stephen Smith spoke to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works regarding the TVA coal ash sludge disaster in Kingston, Tennessee
and urged the body to consider greater oversight and regulation of TVA policy and practices. The incident has been termed by some as one of the largest industrial-environmental disasters in the history of the United States.
Since 1985 SACE/TVEC was active in preventing the construction of a number of nuclear plants in the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA) area. Its operations have since expanded to address a variety of issues relating to energy and the environment, such as electric coal generation practices, mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal
Mountaintop removal mining is a form of surface mining that requires the removal of the summit or summit ridge of a mountain in order to permit easier access to the coal seams...
, and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. SACE has also been a strong advocate for the increased use of energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
technologies to promote the more efficient and effective use of energy resources currently in use in the Southeastern United States.
Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has substantially increased its operations in recent years. SACE now operates offices in Knoxville, TN; Asheville, NC; Atlanta, GA and is represented on various state utility boards and energy committees. It continues to act as an advocate for clean energy in a variety of forums.
In January of 2009, Stephen Smith spoke to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works regarding the TVA coal ash sludge disaster in Kingston, Tennessee
Kingston, Tennessee
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Roane County, Tennessee, United States, and is adjacent to Watts Bar Lake. Kingston, with a population of 5,264 at the 2000 United States census, is included in the Harriman, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area....
and urged the body to consider greater oversight and regulation of TVA policy and practices. The incident has been termed by some as one of the largest industrial-environmental disasters in the history of the United States.