Smith brings a proven track record and more than 30 years of energy expertise to continue Arevon’s growth
NEW YORK and SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., August 1, 2023 – Arevon Energy, Inc., a leading clean energy company in the U.S., is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin B. Smith as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective August 11, 2023. Smith will take over leadership of the company from John Breckenridge, who served as Arevon’s CEO since its inception. Breckenridge will continue in a senior advisor role for Arevon as he moves into retirement.
Smith joins Arevon with more than 30 years of experience in both conventional and renewable energy. Most recently, he was CEO Americas for London-based Lightsource bp, where he drove the company’s expansion in the U.S. market, with more than $4 billion in assets entering operation or construction over the last four years, while building the development team and compiling a 20,000 MW development pipeline.
Prior to leading Lightsource bp’s expansion in the U.S., Smith was CEO for SolarReserve, Senior Vice President at Invenergy, LLC, President of Insight Energy, and Chief Operating Officer of London-based Rolls-Royce Power Ventures. Over his career, Smith has actively led the development, financing, and construction of privately-owned energy projects in 25 states in the U.S. and more than a dozen countries across five continents, focusing on solar generation over the last 15 years. He earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago and his Mechanical Engineering degree from Purdue University.
In a statement, the Arevon Board of Directors said, “We are delighted to welcome Kevin Smith to Arevon. Kevin’s knowledge, experience, and track record of success make him an exciting addition to our talented management team, which is leading Arevon’s development of renewable energy across the U.S. Arevon is committed to growing its sizable operating portfolio of more than 2,600 MW of solar and 600 MWh of storage as well as its robust development pipeline. We want to thank John Breckenridge for his strong leadership in building the company and look forward to having him in an advisory role moving forward. We wish him well as he transitions into his retirement.”
Kevin Smith added, “I’m excited to join Arevon and continue the company’s growth in the U.S. renewable energy market. This is a critical time in the world as we face dramatic challenges related to our climate and energy supply. I look forward to working with the Arevon team to continue to bring solutions for creating a sustainable energy future for the U.S.”
“When we started Arevon in 2021, I was committed to forming the company and positioning it for long-term growth as the last stage of my full-time career. I will deeply miss working day-to-day with the amazing team I have had the privilege to be part of at Arevon,” John Breckenridge reflected. “I have known Kevin Smith for many years and cannot think of a better person to lead Arevon through the next phase of its growth. I look forward to helping him however I can during the transition,” he added.
Arevon recently announced the completion of construction on its 300 MW Eagle Shadow Mountain Solar Plant located on the Moapa River Indian Reservation in Clark County, Nevada, and completed a $386 million refinancing of debt related to a portfolio of operating solar projects in Arizona, California, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia. Arevon is actively constructing the Eland 1 solar-plus-storage plant in Kern County, California, and the Vikings Energy Farm in Imperial County, California.
