By Smart Energy Decisions
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The podcast currently has 117 episodes available.
In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, Brent Trenga, Director of Sustainability at Kingspan North America, shares the company’s ambitious Planet Passionate program and its progress over the first four years of this 10-year initiative. Brent dives into the challenges they faced and the innovative solutions they have implemented to overcome them. He also highlights the value of benchmarking, setting aggressive sustainability targets, and internal buy-in from company leadership and employees to drive impactful change in sustainability efforts for this global building products manufacturer.
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Brent Trenga has truly run the construction industry gamut serving in various roles including architect, developer, and even project owner, allowing him to fully understand the sustainability ecosystem. As Sustainability Director for Kingspan North America, Brent is committed to reducing the environmental impact of business operations, products, and services through continuous improvement and environmental transparency.
Since 2015, Brent has led Kingspan North America’s material health and transparency program while driving a culture of healthier building, healthier planet, healthier people across Kingspan’s global footprint. Brent also leads Kingspan’s global Planet Passionate 2030 program looking after the Americas, supports strategic planning for the business development group, and provides insight on current and future sustainability initiatives keeping Kingspan at the forefront of our industry.
Welcome to the first episode of Plugged In: Exploring Energy. In this podcast miniseries, host Chuck Hanna from Constellation sits down with Benton Arnett from the Nuclear Energy Institute to discuss how nuclear power is transforming to meet today’s energy needs. They also explore emerging tech like small modular reactors (SMRs) and the growing demand for clean energy in sectors like AI and data centers.
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Connect with Benton Arnett
Benton Arnett, Senior Director of Markets and Policy at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), leads the development and execution of policy advocacy strategies to advance the interests of the nuclear energy industry. With over a decade of experience in government affairs, issues management, and strategic partnerships, he has a proven track record of influencing policy outcomes, building coalitions, and effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders. Arnett holds a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Texas A&M University, where he specialized in energy, transportation, and technology policy. He is passionate about promoting energy policy that supports national security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
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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, Zephyr Taylor, Global Commercial Head and Category Director for Renewable Energy at Mars, Inc., takes a close look at the topic of Scope 1 emissions and industrial heat decarbonization. While many companies are comfortable sourcing renewable electricity for their Scope 2 targets, Scope 1 — specifically the challenge of decarbonizing industrial heat — is a different story. This episode tackles the technology, economics, and internal company dynamics required to make progress in this area.
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As the Global Commercial head for Renewable Energy & Carbon Credits at Mars Inc., Zephyr Taylor oversees Mars’ renewable energy sourcing throughout the world – including market assessment, supplier engagement, deal structuring and negotiation, and key internal stakeholder partnering, alongside team oversight and organizational alignment. Zephyr has led the development and execution of strategic sustainability initiatives in the public and private sector globally. His expertise spans policymaking, commercial negotiation, project development and transaction structuring, and thought leadership on organizational reform and stakeholder mobilization. Zephyr holds an MBA and Master of Environmental Management degrees from Yale University. He received his undergraduate degree with Highest Honors in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, Savannah Goodman, Data and Software Climate Solutions Lead at Google, talks about Google's ambitious 24/7 carbon-free energy goal and the innovative tools Google is developing to decarbonize not only its operations but also to influence the broader energy grid. She reveals their use of Time-Based Energy Attribute Certificates (T-EACs) and how this technology can change the procurement of energy across all industries and deliver clean energy to the grid in times and places where it’s needed.
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Connect with Savannah Goodman
Savannah Goodman leads the team that incubates data and software solutions to enable Google and our partners to meet ambitious climate targets, including Net Zero and 24/7 Carbon-free energy by 2030. Her ultimate goal is to accelerate system-level grid decarbonization. In addition to incubating new solutions, her team spearheads technical ecosystem development and thought leadership, as well as drives strategic direction and expertise across Google.
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In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, Charles Benisch, Director of Renewable Advisory at
ENGIE Impact, covers how to move from admirable renewable energy goals to actionable
strategies that align with executive priorities, as well as the rising risks of climate-related
lawsuits, the impact of skyrocketing energy costs, and the looming pressure on supply chains.
For organizations committed to sustainability, he outlines how innovative solutions like
community solar programs and tax credit transfers can be leveraged to create budget-free paths to achieving green goals while still benefiting the bottom line.
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● The concept of exponential growth in the renewable energy industry (02:18)
● Challenges in scaling renewable energy (03:45)
● Climate-related risks, lawsuits,and reputational risks (05:29)
● Energy costs and operating profits (11:12)
● Scope 3 emissions and supply challenges (14:07)
● The use of tax credits to support sustainability goals (18:54)
● Flexible solutions for advancing renewable energy (23:32)
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Connect with Charles Benisch
Charles Benisch is the Director of Renewable Advisory at ENGIE Impact where he helps F500 companies and institutional buyers develop and manage renewable energy portfolios. Charles brings 12+ years’ experience in the renewable energy market, and he specializes in the development of renewable energy strategies that reduce cost, drive earnings, and manage risk. Building upon years in product development and commercial strategy at two of the world’s largest renewable advisory companies, Charles is an expert in helping clients develop business cases, communicate value internally, and align stakeholders. Prior to his role at ENGIE Impact, Charles helped build and scale Enel X’s renewable advisory practice.
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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 Smart Energy Voices, listen to insights from a session at the 2024 Renewable
Energy Forum (REF) featuring Seyed Madaeni, co-founder and CEO of Verse. Madaeni
discusses the complexities of planning an optimal clean energy roadmap at the lowest cost. He
outlines the various factors that organizations need to consider when planning their
sustainability programs and the importance of understanding the financial implications of these
decisions.
Live polling at REF revealed insights into attendees’ experiences with PPAs and their
organization's clean energy goals. Among those results, many organizations responded that
they have clean energy goals, but there is still a need for more robust strategies to achieve
them, including technology-driven solutions.
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● The complexities of a clean energy goal (05:23)
● Important questions in setting up a clean energy program (09:21)
● A case study on evaluating approaches to sustainability (13:10)
● The importance of data-driven insights (18:34)
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Connect with Seyed Madaeni
Seyed has been building software products to optimize the electricity sector for 10+ years. Before founding Verse, he served as the Chief Digital Officer at Fluence, where he played a central role in the company’s successful $5B+ IPO, overseeing its digital business unit. Seyed was instrumental in growing Fluence’s renewable portfolio to over 10GW. Earlier in his career, Seyed was the CEO of AMS, where he pioneered a flagship market bidding product that eventually led to the company’s acquisition by Fluence. Seyed also contributed significantly to Tesla, SolarCity, and PG&E, providing technical oversight for several groundbreaking wholesale market-facing software applications. Seyed holds a BS and MS in electrical engineering from the University of Tehran and a PhD in Systems Engineering (Operations Research) from Ohio State University.
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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 Smart Energy Voices, host Debra Chanil sits down with Megan Lorenzen, Director of Climate and Energy at Salesforce, to discuss the intersection of AI, energy and sustainability. Megan shares insights on Salesforce's efforts in clean energy deployment, including their 100% renewable energy commitment and their role in the global energy transition. They also explore Salesforce's innovative approaches to AI, including the balance between AI's potential to drive climate action and its environmental impact. Megan shares Salesforce’s new sustainable AI policy principles and discusses their engagement with policymakers to promote effective climate legislation, while providing a comprehensive look at how leading technology firms are navigating the complex landscape of energy and AI for a sustainable future.
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Connect with Megan Lorenzen
As Director of Climate & Energy at Salesforce, Megan Lorenzen leads Salesforce’s global climate policy program, advocating for policies that set the world on a path to a just transition to a 1.5-degree future. Megan also leads the company’s power sector decarbonization efforts. This includes catalyzing new, high-impact, renewable energy projects to maintain Salesforce’s global 100% renewable energy commitment and deploying the company’s cross-functional energy transition strategy.
Megan has a BS from Santa Clara University and an MBA from CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business. Megan is the co-author of More than a Megawatt: Embedding Social & Environmental Impact in the Renewable Energy Procurement Process.
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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 Smart Energy Voices, host Debra Chanil welcomes Luke Penne, Senior Business Development Manager at Constellation Energy, in an interview from the 2024 Renewable Energy Forum, “The Continued Evolution of Offsite Renewable Purchasing.” This insightful episode covers recent developments in offsite renewable purchasing, including factors affecting the rising prices of power purchase agreements (PPAs), the importance of more impactful renewable purchases, and increasing demand for PPAs and integrated solutions as companies face challenges in meeting their 2025 and 2030 sustainability goals.
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Connect with Luke Penne
With 10 years of energy and finance experience, Luke is currently a Senior Business Development Manager for Constellation, helping businesses decarbonize their operations hour-by-hour. Prior to his current role, Luke held several positions, both with Constellation and a sell-side investment bank, in energy and fixed-income trading operations. Luke achieved a master's in finance through the University of Baltimore and also holds a Bachelor of Science from Towson University.
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If you're interested in participating in Net Zero Forum Fall this September, visit sednetzeroforum.com/fall or email our team at [email protected] to get started.
In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, Sarah Johnston, Managing Director of Marketing and Carbon Differentiated Strategy at Calpine, discusses corporate sustainability targets and the challenges of achieving them, particularly among the recent changes in SEC and SBTi guidelines. This was the opening keynote at SED’s recent Renewable Energy Forum.
Drawing from 15 years at Calpine, Johnston explores proactive and prescriptive planning to mitigate risks and optimize energy strategies in an uncertain environment. She also touches on corporate challenges in Scope 3 emissions, advocating for supply chain collaboration to reduce carbon footprints.
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Sarah Johnston began her career at Calpine in 2009, focusing on reporting and analysis for risk management clients. As the Managing Director of Marketing and Carbon Differentiated Strategy, Ms. Johnston manages a roster of Calpine Energy Solutions’ Portfolio Risk Management clients with complex and expansive footprints or portfolios. She is responsible for analyzing data on macroeconomic trends, commodity market influences, and broader energy markets while ensuring that Calpine’s key clients’ electricity portfolios are balanced and well-managed. Her expertise in sustainability and energy portfolio management guides clients through the use of advanced risk analytics, evaluation of strategy performance, and guidance in creating and executing energy policies and strategies that concurrently manage impacts to cost, risk, and carbon. Ms. Johnston is also a frequent speaker on the topics of corporate sustainability, renewable energy strategy, energy portfolio management, and commodity risk management. Education: B.S. in Business Administration, Elmhurst College; Graduate Certificate, Corporate Sustainability and Innovation, Harvard University.
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 Smart Energy Voices, host Debra Chanil speaks with Melissa Banks, Regulatory and Utility Advocacy Director at Trane Technologies, about the complex landscape of building decarbonization and sustainability. Banks discusses the increasing importance of regulatory compliance, utility incentives, and tax benefits in making energy efficiency projects financially viable for businesses and building owners.
She explains the significance of understanding local utility incentives and shares examples of utility programs that offer substantial rebates for energy-efficient upgrades and emphasizes leveraging these incentives and working with experts to help maximize the financial benefits of their sustainability efforts — making the path to decarbonization both achievable and affordable.
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Connect with Melissa Banks
As the Regulatory and Utility Advocacy Director at Trane Technologies, Melissa Banks is responsible for leading Trane’s climate-related regulatory thought leadership, market intelligence, and influence in the energy sector. She has over 15 years of experience in helping industry stakeholder groups advocate for sustainable and resilient community infrastructure solutions.
Melissa holds a B.S. in Public Relations from California State University and an M.B.A. from Rutgers University. She can be found hiking trails throughout the Pacific Northwest with family in her spare time.
Connect With Smart Energy Decisions
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]
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