Smart Energy Voices

In this episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna welcomes Brian Smith, Director of Nuclear Reactor Development at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), for a wide-ranging conversation on the role of advanced nuclear in meeting growing energy demand. Drawing on Smith’s career across the U.S. Navy, Department of Energy and now INL, they explore why nuclear is both a current backbone of the U.S. grid and a critical solution for the future. They cover how small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors are expanding nuclear’s use cases, from grid-scale power to remote communities and data centers, along with INL’s role in de-risking, piloting and accelerating commercialization through partnerships with private industry. Smith also shares insights on grid resilience, cybersecurity, federal-industry collaboration and why “nuclear now” is an essential part of delivering reliable, low-carbon energy at scale.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

 Advanced nuclear technologies and their evolving role (03:13) 

Use cases for SMRs beyond the grid (04:33) 

How INL supports commercialization (06:24) 

How SMR use cases are shifting (09:28) 

Data centers, AI load growth, and the demand for reliable power (11:40) 

Bridging the “valley of death” between research and commercialization (14:30) 

INL’s role in energy and infrastructure security (19:11) 

Why nuclear is a “now” solution (22:43) 

For full episode show notes, click here.

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If you’re interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decisions Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at [email protected].

In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, host Debra Chanil brings together three industry leaders from SED’s Advisory Board to examine how shifting policies, rising demand, and rapid technological change have reshaped energy and sustainability strategies across sectors in 2025 and what 2026 may bring. Tom Kelly, Senior Energy Manager, SUNY Purchase College, offers a higher education perspective, outlining the challenges of volatile markets, evolving state mandates, and the growing role of students in driving sustainability priorities. Emily Schapira, President and CEO, Philadelphia Energy Authority, discusses how the Philadelphia Energy Authority is navigating the loss of federal funding while still advancing equitable clean energy initiatives, including the city’s landmark LED streetlighting project. Finally, Scott Bargerstock, Principal, Mindre Consulting, shares insights from his decades in manufacturing, highlighting geopolitical pressures, grid expansion, and innovation in storage and nuclear technologies.  

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in… 


Challenges of forecasting markets without consistent federal information (03:36) 


On complying with New York’s Executive Order 22 (05:29) 


SUNY Purchase College’s energy and sustainability priorities (07:17) 


SUNY Purchase College’s $50M geothermal project (10:56) 


Impacts of federal policy rollbacks and stalled clean energy programs (15:35) 


Philadelphia’s creative financing strategies amid uncertainty (19:36) 


Philadelphia’s $90M LED streetlighting overhaul (22:56) 


Biggest challenges energy procurement managers are facing (31:24) 


Innovation priorities like battery storage and safety concerns (33:31) 


The  restoration of the nuclear industry in the US (39:33) 

For full episode show notes, click here.

Connect with Tom Kelly 


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Connect with Emily Schapira 

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Connect with Scott Bargerstock 


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Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, aCast, PlayerFM, iHeart Radio 

If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at [email protected].

In this episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna sits down with Kevin Rabinovitch, Global VP of Sustainability at Mars, to discuss the company’s journey toward maintaining their environmental goals, with a special focus on Scope 3 emissions. The conversation covers insights from Rabinovitch’s 31-year career at Mars, the evolution of their strategy, how it’s integrated into business operations, and the challenges and opportunities of driving change across a global supply chain. Whether it’s data systems, supplier engagement, renewable energy, or emerging technologies, this episode includes many insights for those looking to improve their Scope 3 strategy.

Embedding sustainability into your business strategy (02:30)

Discovering where sustainability objectives meet daily decisions (4:04)

Why Mars prioritized Scope 3 emissions (09:36)

Meeting challenges in aggregating data across the business and supply chain (12:26)

Supplier engagement, estimation philosophy, and more (16:59)

Driving efficiency, motivation, and business value (17:39)

Tactics for adapting to different markets and risk appetites in renewable energy (23:42)

Advice for those starting their own journey in the industry (44:12)

For full episode show notes, click here.

Connect with Kevin Rabinovitch

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Kevin Rabinovitch is the Global VP Sustainability for Mars, Incorporated. In his role, he leads the Performance Acceleration and Shared Services team supporting the Mars Sustainable in A Generation Plan. Spanning the entirety of Mars' global sustainability impacts, Performance Acceleration focuses on creating new business capabilities and reengineering to accelerate and more efficiently deliver the SiG Plan. Shared Services leverages the global scale and power of Mars to support the segments of Petcare, Snacking and Food & Nutrition on subjects such as a global portfolio of renewable energy, sustainability data systems & tools, carbon removal projects and the Mars Sustainable Investment Fund. 

Externally, among other roles, Kevin sits on the Board of the Livelihoods Carbon Fund 3, teaches Business & Sustainability at Virginia Tech and Georgetown University and frequently speaks externally on behalf of Mars’ sustainability program. He has been with Mars for 31 years, 18 years in sustainability, having helped start Mars’ program and the first 13 years in R&D functions of multiple Mars business segments in the U.S. and Europe, specializing in technology development, scale-up, and intellectual property.

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Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, aCast, PlayerFM, iHeart Radio.

If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decisions Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at [email protected].

In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, we bring you a conversation from SED Forum Fall featuring Chris Pennington of Iron Mountain and Brett Thompson of CMC and moderated by Debra Chanil, Editorial & Research Director at Smart Energy Decisions. They explore a major shift underway in energy strategy, moving from a focus on procurement to optimizing how and when energy is used. As renewable generation grows, aligning consumption with clean energy availability is becoming increasingly important. Pennington shares how data centers are integrating on-site storage and hourly matching to enhance flexibility, while Thompson explains how CMC manages electric arc furnace operations and demand response participation to support grid reliability. Together, they highlight the growing need for flexible load strategies, stronger utility partnerships, and forward-looking planning in the ever-changing energy landscape.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

Why energy strategy is shifting from procurement to optimized usage (03:40)

Changing grid dynamics and shifting peak pricing periods (07:39)

Demand response and managing load peaks (14:20)

Where energy customers should focus next (15:47)

Policy and regulatory challenges (16:48)

How data centers are affecting grid capacity and costs (18:18)

The future of clean energy (20:24)

For full episode show notes, click here.

Connect with Chris Pennington

On LinkedIn

Chris Pennington is Director of Energy & Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers. His responsibilities include the development of Iron Mountain’s global sustainability program and identification of opportunities to innovate for a more sustainable digital future. He received the Green Power Leader of the Year award in 2021 from the Center for Resource Solutions and championed Iron Mountain’s public commitment to 24/7 carbon free energy that same year. Chris actively participates in the Clean Energy Buyers Association as faculty for their energy buyer support programs, as well as Eurelectric’s 24/7 carbon free energy hub.

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Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, aCast, PlayerFM, iHeart Radio

If you’re interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at [email protected]

In this episode of Plugged In, we bring you a panel discussion at the recent SED Forum Fall on the growing importance of energy resiliency as a strategic imperative. The panel, moderated by Melissa Heim, Principal of Commercialization and Development at Constellation, features Levi Love, Manager of Energy Procurement and Analytics at Sheetz, Scott Czubkowski, National Director of Energy and Facility Performance at Medxcel, and Abhinav Krishna, Vice President of Commercialization and Development at Constellation.

This panel of experts explores how organizations across sectors are designing resilient and sustainable energy strategies to withstand disruptions and ensure business continuity. They discuss approaches including leveraging data and analytics for operational insights and integrating behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter solutions. The panelists also share how innovations like battery technology, AI, and long-range data networks are shaping the future of energy resiliency, and why combining sustainability with reliability is essential for building a stronger, more adaptive energy future.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

● Energy resiliency and its growing importance (01:30)

● Macro trends shaping energy resiliency strategies (02:51)

● Sheetz’s approach to energy resilience and sustainability (04:41)

● Medxcel’s healthcare-focused resiliency strategy (06:27)

● The ROI of resilience through cross-departmental data (09:43)

● On improving data accuracy and real-time insights (10:45)

● Behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter solutions (14:15)

● Emerging technologies in healthcare energy systems (17:40)

● On battery technology and AI-powered energy analytics (19:55)

● AI, and the evolution of small modular reactors and long-duration storage (21:11)

For full episode show notes, click here.



Connect with Constellation

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Learn more about Constellation sustainability solutions

Connect With Smart Energy Decisions

Smart Energy Decisions

Follow us on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, aCast, PlayerFM, iHeart Radio

If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Community Development team at [email protected]