Clay Scofield
Position: President & CEO, Energy Institute of Alabama
About Clay: He grew up on a farm in Joppa outside Arab, where his family are members of Arab Electric Cooperative. His family was in the car business, but in 1989 when he was 9, his grandfather bought a 1,550-acre cattle farm in Brownโs Valley, south of Guntersville. In 1994, Clayโs father built eight broiler chicken houses, where he worked during summer breaks for a few years. He helped his grandfather and uncle with the commercial cattle operation until he left to study international business at Auburn University. His first career goal was to work overseas in international sales or the foreign service, but the pull of home was strong, and he switched his major to agricultural business and economics and came home after graduation. He is the third generation in his family to graduate from Auburn Universityโs College of Agriculture. He was awarded a contract with Pilgrimโs Pride to build four broiler houses in 2004 and began operations in March 2005, adding four more houses bought from his uncle later that year.
Political Career: In 2010, at just 30 years old, he was elected to the Alabama Senate where he worked to improve Alabamaโs economy, infrastructure and workforce development. Some of his proudest accomplishments included helping create Alabamaโs rural broadband expansion program, helping provide more secure funding for our state parks, and securing funding to build a new, state-of-the-art workforce training center in Marshall County run by Snead State Community College. In 2020, his colleagues elected him Senate Majority Leader where he served until 2023, when he joined the Business Council of Alabama as executive vice president. He was named President and CEO of the Energy Institute of Alabama in September 2025.
Tell us about the Energy Institute of Alabama.
It is a non-profit organization of industry leaders from the energy sector who work together to promote the energy industry in Alabama. Our mission is to promote reliable, affordable, and abundant energy to help grow Alabamaโs economy, create-high paying jobs, and build public support and appreciation for Alabamaโs energy industry and its employees. Our members include the Alabama Rural Electric Association, Alabama Power, PowerSouth Energy, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Energy Southeast, and Electric Cities of Alabama.
Why is having an organization like EIA important?
Having all of Alabamaโs electric utilities united behind the common goal of strengthening Alabamaโs economy is both unique and powerful. One thing that became evident during my service in the Senate is that Alabama is growing because our leadership is doing everything right to help our economy thrive. Historic investments are being made to improve our infrastructure, education system, and industrial sites, all while keeping taxes and regulations low. But to keep that momentum going, Alabama has to have reliable and abundant energy. Everything runs on power, from our homes to our churches to our places of work, yet we way too often take it for granted. When the opportunity came to run the Energy Institute of Alabama, I jumped at it. There probably hasnโt been a more important or exciting time for the energy sector since rural electrification. President Trump wants our country not only to be energy independent, but energy dominant. If Alabama has the right policies in place that are focused on helping improve our energy infrastructure, we could position our state to be a leader in attracting high-paying jobs well into the future.
What are the major challenges facing Alabama in terms of energy generation and demands?
There are a few challenges that the energy sector in Alabama faces but probably the biggest is the growing demand for electricity. Because of A.I., advanced manufacturing, and a growing population, we will need more power generation. Burdensome regulations, long-lead times on equipment, and high costs slows down construction on any new generation plants. The Energy Institute of Alabama is committed to working with our utilities and elected officials to identify and remove those barriers.
When youโre not representing Alabamaโs energy sector, what do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, thereโs nothing I value more than spending time with my wife, Jade, and our son Will, who is 7.ย We enjoy cheering him on at his flag-football and basketball games and having family movie nights on the weekend.ย Jade and I have very busy schedules, so we cherish the time we have together as a family.ย I also enjoy quail hunting with good friends whenever I get the chance.โ Lenore Vickreyย
