Travis M. Smith, P.E.
Executive Consultant & Founding MDT Partner
Travis M. Smith, P.E., is a senior power systems advisor and consultant with more than 35 years of experience across generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. His work focuses on protection architecture, advanced grid modeling, and deterministic evaluation of complex energy systems undergoing accelerating load growth and digital transformation.
At MDT Group, Mr. Smith advises utilities, infrastructure developers, and institutional stakeholders at the systems level on MW-scale interconnection strategy, infrastructure readiness, and structured modernization of grid evaluation methodologies. His work integrates advanced analytical modeling and carefully governed machine-assisted decision support within disciplined technical frameworks to support reliable expansion of energy infrastructure.
He previously served as Director of Research and Special Projects at DRG Technical Solutions and later as Executive Consultant, leading advanced modeling initiatives and modernization efforts for complex interconnection environments.
From 2008 to 2021, Mr. Smith was Senior R&D Staff at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he led and supported U.S. Department of Energy initiatives in advanced grid modeling, adaptive protection systems, microgrid protection strategy, and real-time simulation validation.
In parallel with his national laboratory work, he conducted independent system studies and technical advisory engagements for utility-scale wind, solar, geothermal, and MW-scale industrial facilities exceeding 500 MW of aggregate capacity, including load flow, short-circuit, harmonic, transient, and protection coordination evaluations.
Earlier in his career, he held protection and controls engineering roles at Tennessee Valley Authority and Georgia Power Company and later served as System Studies Group Leader at EnerNex Corporation. He began his career as an instrument mechanic at a TVA nuclear generating facility.
Mr. Smith is a licensed Professional Engineer in Tennessee and Hawaii, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a current member of the NCEES Licensure Examination Development Committee. He holds U.S. Patent No. 12,170,441 and is an inventor on additional circuit protection methodologies.