Ken Smith

President and CEO

Ken Smith, PE, MBA, has been the president and CEO of Ever-Green Energy and its parent company District Energy St. Paul and has served in those roles since 2010. Recognized globally for his leadership in community and campus scale energy systems, Ken is actively engaged in industry, policy, and academic forums addressing the transformation of our energy system and is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally. Since 2012, Smith has participated in the energy policy exchange between Germany and the State of Minnesota and is cofounder of the highly successful Climate Smart Municipalities exchange with Germany.

Prior to joining Ever-Green Energy in 2006, Smith worked globally in the engineering and construction industry for over 20 years, planning, designing and implementing highly reliable energy projects, including central plants, microgrids, datacenters, and other mission critical facilities for advanced tech industry, campuses, international airports, and U.S. Department of Defense. Smith has served as board chair for the International District Energy Association (IDEA), the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System (M-RETS), and the EV startup Zeus Electric Chassis.  He currently serves on the board of trustees of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the board of directors of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance and the Corporate Council for Metropolitan State University, and has been a fellow of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment since 2016.  In 2022, Ken was awarded the Norman R. Taylor Award by the International District Energy Association for his bold leadership and lifelong commitment to energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions. He has bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN, and is a registered professional engineer in multiple states.