Smartland Energy CEO Vadim Kleyner spent last week in Washington as part of a bipartisan delegation organized by Igor Lon (Crest Invest), joining sessions with both a Republican Club and a Democratic Club. The agenda for Smartland Energy was broad and practical: real grid constraints, the surge in industrial and AI load, pathways for behind-the-meter (BTM) power, and how private developers can help improve reliability.
Across meetings with congressional offices, including a conversation with Rep. Brad Sherman and Rep. Kevin Kiley, and roundtables with industry leaders, discussions centered on:
- Reliability under rising load: Data centers, advanced manufacturing, and electrification are outpacing interconnection timelines.
- Speed to power: Where BTM projects, microgrids, and modular assets can relieve local bottlenecks without waiting on multi year transmission builds.
- Permitting and predictability: Practical reforms that shorten cycle times while keeping communities at the table.
- Critical equipment & supply chains: Transformers were one example among many critical items. They’re important, but not the whole story.
CEO Vadim Kleyner also met Igor Pasternak, founder of Aeroscraft, whose work includes in short supply grid equipment. The exchange underscored a larger theme of the trip: pairing American industrial capacity with private capital to accelerate deployment.
Why it matters
Smartland Energy’s model, integrating real estate intelligence, fuel access, permitting strategy, and behind-the-meter generation, is designed for the exact challenges highlighted in D.C.: deliverable megawatts, sooner, with community compatibility.
What’s next
Following the trip, Smartland is engaging with stakeholders on pilot opportunities that align local economic development with near term power solutions in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.
