──── About i3 Power & Energy
Engineering the Future of
Build to Operate Energy Systems
We design, integrate, and align energy infrastructure with real-world constraints—so projects don’t just get built, they perform.
i3 Power & Energy was created to solve a growing challenge: the disconnect between infrastructure ambition and energy system reality. Our approach brings structure to complexity—connecting planning, design, and operations into one unified architecture.
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──── Our Company
Built for Modern Infrastructure Challenges
i3 Power & Energy is an energy infrastructure advisory and systems integration firm focused on enabling Build-to-Operate solutions. We work at the intersection of power systems, digital infrastructure, and long-term operational strategy—helping stakeholders navigate complexity and deliver projects that are viable, scalable, and aligned with real-world conditions.
BUILD TO OPERATE
──── Our Purpose
Bringing Structure to Energy Complexity
To align energy infrastructure with real-world constraints through a structured framework that enables scalable, high-performing Build-to-Operate solutions.
──── The Challenge
Infrastructure Ambition vs. Energy Reality
Today’s infrastructure projects are often planned in isolation—separating site development, energy design, and operational strategy. This creates delays, cost overruns, and systems that underperform in real-world conditions.
i3 was built to close this gap—ensuring that energy systems are designed with full awareness of infrastructure constraints, grid limitations, and long-term operational requirements.
──── The Leadership
Make smarter, faster, and more coordinated power decisions from the very beginning
We exist because power is no longer a downstream consideration. It is now one of the earliest and most defining constraints in development, infrastructure planning, and operational resilience. The old model—where energy is addressed late, in silos, or only when problems arise—no longer works.
i3 Power & Energy was built to change that.
Our approach connects planning, design, delivery, and operations into one unified framework so owners, developers, utilities, and operators can move forward with greater confidence. We help clients navigate the realities of utility coordination, capacity constraints, distributed energy opportunities, infrastructure phasing, and long-term operational readiness with a strategy designed to work in the real world.
This is not about adding another software layer or another disconnected consultant to the process. It is about creating a practical, integrated path forward.
David Swank, Chief Executive Officer
David Swank, CEO of i3 Power and Energy, has over 35 years of experience in the utility industry. His extensive background encompasses various roles and responsibilities such as engineering and operations, commercial energy auditing, advanced distribution automation, demand side management, energy efficiency, rate design, infrastructure planning, and utility project/construction management.
David also has experience and certifications in commercial energy auditing, infrastructure (Construction Work Plans) planning, HVAC/geothermal applications, engineering economics for commercial/industrial accounts, rate design, strategic planning, and energy policy making.
At i3 Power & Energy, David leads the effort to bring a more unified approach to energy and infrastructure strategy—connecting planning, design, and operations into a model that reflects how projects actually get built and how systems perform over time.
His leadership reinforces i3’s core belief: power strategy must be operationally grounded, executable, and built for long-term performance.
RB Sloan, PE, Executive Officer
R.B. Sloan, PE, is a distinguished electric utility executive with over 40 years of progressive leadership experience spanning electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, and technology solutions across the power industry.
As CEO of EnergyUnited, North Carolina’s largest electric cooperative, he successfully led a transformational merger and built one of the nation’s largest cooperatives, serving diverse electric, propane, and water customers with substantial annual revenues. His executive expertise extends from leading Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the largest electric cooperative in the nation, to serving as CEO of Meridian Cooperative, a premier software provider in the electric and telecom cooperative market.
His comprehensive industry knowledge encompasses utility operations, energy service solutions, regulatory affairs, and cooperative business models, complemented by extensive board service across state and national electric cooperative organizations.
Chuck Knight, FAIA, LEED® AP, NCARB – Executive Officer
Chuck Knight, FAIA; is a registered architect, supporting i3 Power & Energy and the built environments who uniquely combines deep architectural expertise with specialized knowledge in power and energy infrastructure.
Chuck’s comprehensive understanding of energy systems, combined with his 25+ years of architectural leadership, positions him as a sought-after expert in designing sustainable, energy-efficient facilities that demonstrate measurable environmental impact.
His work spans from utility headquarters and energy infrastructure projects to healthcare and educational facilities, consistently integrating renewable energy solutions and sustainable design principles that reduce energy consumption by up to 50% compared to conventional buildings.
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Sandi Coughlin, MBA, Chief Marketing Officer
Sandi Coughlin is Chief Marketing Officer of i3 Power & Energy. She leads growth strategy and business development for i3 and works directly with leadership and clients — translating the i3 Energy Architecture framework (Intelligence, Integration, Interoperability) into clear, executable strategy on their projects.
Sandi partners with developers, utilities, hyperscalers, and the operators driving the AI-era power buildout. She brings the i3 framework into every engagement as a working tool, helping teams align stakeholders, sharpen decisions, and move complex energy infrastructure projects from concept to commercial outcome.
Beyond direct client engagements, Sandi is instrumental in developing and delivering i3's ecosystem of offerings — including the i3 certification program and the partnership programs that extend the framework across the power and energy industry. Together, these programs give practitioners, partners, and clients a shared methodology for the demands of AI-era power infrastructure.
Sandi also owns and operates 7 Seconds Strategy (7SS), a B2B marketing consultancy serving energy infrastructure operators, mission-critical technology firms, and complex technical-sector clients. Through 7SS she partners with growth-stage and owner-led companies to drive measurable commercial growth — from strategy through execution.
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Chris Knight
Chris Knight is Executive Vice President of i3 Power & Energy, leading project execution and client delivery. He translates i3's strategy and architecture into work that gets built — coordinating across developers, operators, utilities, and trades to move complex power projects from concept to commissioning.
Chris brings more than seven years in the power industry, spanning utility design and field operations. He previously served as a Senior Power Distribution Technician at Mi-Tech Services and spent more than five years at Xcel Energy — one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States — as an Electric Distribution Designer. That combination of design and field experience gives Chris a working understanding of how power infrastructure actually moves from planning through interconnection to construction.
Site Planning | Capacity Modeling | Power Simulation | Integrated Distributed Resource Plan | MDCC | DER Strategy | Grid Interactivity | Operational Planning | Site Planning | Capacity Modeling | Power Simulation | Integrated Distributed Resource Plan | MDCC | DER Strategy | Grid Interactivity | Operational Planning
──── The i3 Approach
A Framework-Driven Model for Delivery
Our work is grounded in the i3 Energy Architecture™—a structured framework that connects every phase of infrastructure development into one cohesive system.
Start with Reality
Anchor every project in site intelligence and infrastructure constraints.
Design as a System
Integrate grid, distributed energy, and digital infrastructure into one architecture.
Build for Operations
Ensure systems are designed for performance, not just deployment.
──── our Difference
From Fragmentation to Integration
Traditional Approach
Disconnected planning and execution
Energy treated as a secondary consideration
Limited visibility into long-term performance
The i3 Approach
Unified framework across all stages
Energy as a core design driver
Systems built for lifecycle performance
──── Core Expertise
Where We Create Value
Early-stage intelligence, feasibility, and planning support.
Integrated energy system design
Power simulation and capacity modeling
Data center and digital infrastructure alignment
Energy economics and procurement strategy
──── Who We Serve
Designed for Stakeholders Driving Build to Operate Solutions
Developers
Accelerate deployment and reduce energy uncertainty.
Utilities
Coordinate load growth with infrastructure and grid realities.
Investors
Improve bankability through structured energy strategy.
Partners
Deliver within a unified system-of-systems architecture.
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