LS Power Launching Retail Supplier, Hires Market Veteran As CEO, Considering Acquisitions

LS Power announced that it is launching LifeEnergy, LLC, which will act as a retail energy supplier and provide other energy supply solutions.

LifeEnergy, LLC will provide electricity, gas, mobile LNG, solar and distributed generation to residential and business customers throughout North America.

Funded by an affiliate of LS Power, LifeEnergy, LLC will be managed by chairman and chief executive officer Zin Smati

Until recently, Smati was the president and chief executive officer of GDF Suez Energy North America, where he led all energy businesses in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including Power Generation, LNG, Gas Distribution and Midstream, Marketing and Trading and Retail Energy. He served as chairman of GDF's North American Executive, Risk and Investment committees, overseeing all energy investments in North America.

LifeEnergy will be headquartered in Houston, with plans to expand nationally and then into Mexico and Canada.

"The company is actively building its team and assessing potential acquisitions across a variety of markets," LS Power said

"The North American energy industry is in a state of transition. I believe strongly that there is a tremendous opportunity in the marketplace to build a nationally branded and scalable energy company focused on delivering a variety of products and services for both residential and business customers," said Smati.