Executive Vice President – Grid Solutions & Government Affairs
Antonio Smyth is executive vice president, Grid Solutions and Government Affairs at American Electric Power. Smyth leads the origination and strategic planning of the corporation’s multi-billion dollar infrastructure investment programs across electric generation, transmission, distribution and telecommunications. In addition, he is responsible for leading AEP’s national policy and legislative efforts, as well as overseeing the company’s regulatory activity at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and four Regional Transmission Organizations. He also oversees the management and all aspects of electric service for AEP’s $5 billion transmission joint venture utility companies across the U.S.
Smyth most recently served as senior vice president of Grid Solutions, where he led the commercial development of new grid resources, including the corporation’s investments in large-scale electric generation projects, renewable energy projects, competitive transmission, energy storage, and emerging technologies.
Prior to that, he was senior vice president of Transmission Ventures, Strategy and Policy, where he led transmission strategy, finance, commercial development activities, and federal regulatory and policy for AEP’s $30 billion electric transmission business. He has also held key leadership roles in the Strategic Initiatives organization, which is responsible for corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions, and in the Corporate Finance organization, which is responsible for debt and equity capital markets, rating agency activities, market risk, and balance sheet management for AEP’s parent and subsidiary utility companies.
Smyth serves as the chair of the board directors of the Reliability First Corporation in Cleveland and is a member of the Compensation Committee. He also serves as a board member of Electric Transmission Texas, LLC, a $4 billion electric infrastructure joint venture between AEP and Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Smyth is a trustee of the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, and is the co-executive sponsor of AEP’s Black Employee Resource Group and AEP’s Environmental and Social Justice Initiative.
Smyth is a United States military veteran and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the Ohio State University. He has completed the executive leadership program at the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University and director certification through the National Association of Corporate Directors. He and his family reside in Columbus.