Plugged In: Exploring Energy with Constellation

In this episode of Plugged In, Constellation Director of Associations April Kreller sits down with President and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturer's Association, Mark Denzler, to discuss local and national trends in the manufacturing sector, focusing on technology, workforce management, and economic growth opportunities. They also talk about energy reliability, affordability, and stability for Illinois manufacturers, as well as the challenges inherent to policymaking and maintaining energy goals. 👉 Subscribe for more videos https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGEdtGuKe2fJoP4R1ybTydA?sub_confirmation=1👉 Follow us on social media‣ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/constellation-energy‣ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ConstellationEnergy‣ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/constellationenergy‣ X https://x.com/constellationeg👉 Visit our website http://constellation.comConstellation is the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free energy and the leading competitive retail supplier of power and energy products and services for homes and businesses across the United States.

Release date: 1/16/26In 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.

Release date: 12/12/25In 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.

Release date: 11/21/25In 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.

Release date: 10/10/25In this episode of Plugged In, Raj Bazaj, Vice President of Sustainability Solutions at Constellation, sits down with Ryan Kelley, Global Carbon Footprint Reduction Champion at WL Gore & Associates, a global materials science company spanning thousands of products including high-performance fabrics. Kelley shares Gore’s path to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2025, their early success in emissions reduction, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration in driving progress.

Release date: 8/9/25In this episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna welcomes Brian Janous, Co-founder of Cloverleaf Infrastructure and former leader of Microsoft’s global energy team. They explore the energy sector’s changing dynamics, driven by skyrocketing demand from data centers and a shift in emphasis from buying energy to securing capacity. Janous shares insights from his 25-year career in the power and utilities industry, highlighting the current strain on the grid, the role of utilities, and the importance of building energy resilience.

Release date: 7/11/25In this episode of Plugged In, Abhinav Krishna talks to Joe Hayden, Executive Vice President for North America at GridBeyond, to explore the evolving opportunities and challenges of energy flexibility in today’s world. As the conversation dives into how commercial and industrial customers can unlock new revenue streams and support grid stability through demand response programs, Hayden shares why traditional approaches to demand response are being replaced by data-driven, AI-enhanced, and incremental strategies — especially in industries like data centers, cold storage, steel and manufacturing. From the challenges of backup power integration to opportunities in real-time flexibility, Hayden explains where we are in the transformation of the grid’s generation and management of costly peak events, and breaks down how GridBeyond helps customers future-proof their energy strategies.

Release date: 5/9/25In this episode of Plugged In, Chuck Hanna welcomes Rich Powell, CEO of the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), to discuss the future of grid infrastructure and associated emerging technologies. Rich highlights the importance of enhancing the current grid through innovative technologies like dynamic line rating, advanced conductors, and virtual power plants. He emphasizes the need for better utilization of existing assets and explores how grid-enhancing technologies can improve efficiency and support clean energy generation. Powell also touches on the role of policy shifts in enabling these advancements, sharing insights into the ongoing legislative efforts around tax incentives for clean energy. He stresses the potential impact on electricity prices and the importance of maintaining support for new clean energy generation.

Release date: 4/11/25In today's episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna speaks with Kyle Tafuri, Vice President of Sustainability at Hackensack Meridian Health, about the organization’s ambitious sustainability initiatives. Kyle shares perspectives on balancing long-term environmental goals with the immediate challenges of operating a healthcare system, emphasizing the importance of strategic partnerships, incremental progress, and innovative solutions like offsite solar, carbon capture, and geothermal energy. He also discusses Hackensack Meridian Health’s proactive approach to supply chain sustainability, energy efficiency, and patient-centered environmental strategies.

Release date: 3/14/25In this episode of Plugged In, Chuck Hanna speaks with Pat Lynch, Executive Managing Director at CBRE Data Center Solutions, about the evolving data center and AI landscape. They discuss the rapid growth of AI and its significant impact on data centers, including the shift from large training models to inference-based AI and private AI, which demands more distributed, latency-sensitive facilities in urban areas. Pat emphasizes the growing need for infrastructure investments in connectivity and power to support AI advancements and cloud growth. They also explore the challenges of meeting energy demands, the emergence of enterprise-built data centers, and innovations in sustainable practices–offering a forward-looking perspective on the industry’s exciting trajectory.

Release date: 2/14/25In this episode of Plugged In, Constellation’s Managing Director Melissa Zimmerman speaks with Ed Socia, Director, North America at datacenterHawk, about the evolving energy demands and sustainability challenges of data centers. Ed discusses trends such as the growing influence of AI, increasing rack densities, and the adoption of liquid cooling to optimize energy use. He highlights the role of real-time monitoring tools like SCADA and DSIM in improving efficiency while addressing regional variations in energy strategies and the balance between carbon reduction goals and business viability. He also touches on the potential of emerging technologies like small modular reactors and green hydrogen, the importance of adaptive reuse of sites, and the need to enhance grid reliability as the industry continues to grow rapidly.

Release date: 1/10/25In this episode of Plugged In, host Chuck Hanna talks with Chris Pennington, Director of Energy and Sustainability for Iron Mountain Data Centers, about the company's ambitious decarbonization efforts and commitment to 24/7 carbon-free energy. They dive into the challenges and solutions of tracking and achieving hourly energy matching, the changing landscape of clean energy products, and the importance of granular data in setting sustainability goals. Chris also shares insights on the growing intersection of environmental and business performance, offering valuable lessons for organizations at all stages of their sustainability journey.

Release date: 12/6/2024In this episode of Plugged In, Host Chuck Hanna from Constellation talks with Adrian Anderson, General Manager of Carbon-Free Electricity, Renewable Energy & Carbon Dioxide Removal at Microsoft, about advancing carbon-free energy and data-driven sustainability.

Release date: 11/08/2024In this episode of Plugged In, Chuck Hanna Explores SMRs and the growing demand for clean energy in sectors like AI and data centers with guest Benton Arnett, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).