Steve Poteet, P.E.
Senior Engineering Advisor
“I believe that hydropower, our oldest and most reliable renewable energy resource, holds a valuable place as we strive to achieve a clean, balanced, and sustainable generation portfolio. Those who conceived and built the hydroelectric generating systems created a sustainable and reliable energy source that has lasted for more than a century and will continue for another century to come. Our responsibility as caretakers is to strive to improve and maintain it continuously.”
Steve is a senior engineering advisor at Kleinschmidt with 43 years of professional experience. He has extensive experience with mechanical systems in power-generating facilities and has supported over 50 hydro and pumped storage overhaul and upgrade studies.
Steve’s experience includes gates and machinery, hydro unit overhaul/upgrades, new hydro unit installations, recovery of two hydroelectric plants from major fires, crane replacement and overhaul projects, elevator overhauls and new elevator installations, new generation studies, hydro generator performance testing, raw and potable water systems, compressed air systems, and HVAC.
Steve holds a B.S. in Engineering from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Michigan. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Chattanooga Section Executive Committee, past chair, and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Steve was named Chattanooga Area Engineer of the Year in 2021.