3.11 On Offshore Wind & Building Coalitions of Local Support with Nadia Adam and Elina Khutoryansky Jul 02, 2024

In this episode, Nadia, Elina, and Amy discuss the new landscape of offshore wind in America and how this holistic solution is providing revitalization to American manufacturing, in addition to the importance of engagement with the local community and meeting people where they are in renewable energy outreach.

Quotes

“It sounds like people are not opposed to renewable energy if it’s done correctly.”
– Nadia Adam
“This is our generation’s oil boom.” – Nadia Adam

“Artists do motion -based artwork all the time – why can’t this [wind turbines] be one of those?” – Amy Simpkins

“These same people that are living on the coast and are worried about their view are likely also worried about what climate change is going to do to that view when their house sinks into the ocean.” – Elina Khutoryansky

About

Introducing Nadia Adam, a visionary leader celebrated for her multifaceted contributions across industries. Recognized as one of Womenelle's Top 10 Female Leaders of 2024 and honored with the esteemed SIEDC 20 under 40 leadership award, Nadia's remarkable journey reflects her unwavering commitment to driving positive change.

At the heart of Nadia's mission is a vision to transform how professionals and the public engage with and understand offshore wind energy. Through high-quality documentaries, feature articles, online courses, and interactive webinars, EcoWind Solutions delivers both deep industry insights and engaging human interest stories. Moreover, Nadia is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community within the offshore wind industry, providing robust forums, career resources, and networking opportunities for industry players.

Elina Khutoryansky is the co-founder of EcoWind Solutions. She is an attorney that specialized in compliance for some of the most highly regulated industries in the US, but joined Nadia in EcoWind Solutions in order to make a greater and more positive impact on the world.

Resources

Ecowind Solutions

Staten Island Industrial Alliance

Instagram: EcoWindSolutions

TikTok: EcoWindSolutions

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.12 Season 3 Wrap Up with Amy Simpkins Jul 02, 2024

Join Amy Simpkins for a “state of the [renewable energy] union” in 2023-2024, her predictions for 2025, reflections on innovation theory and the importance of creative rest for the entrepreneurial (and life!) journey, and a summary of Power Flow’s stunning Season 3 guests.

To consider this summer: How do we give ourselves mental and creative rest as professional adults in an extremely fast-paced industry?

Quotes (all by Amy Simpkins)

“Innovation is not just a cyclical process, but an iterative one.”

“The federal funding and the visibility that it has given to #CleanTech and the visibility it has given to projects for underserved communities has been huge and was possibly the biggest news of the year.”

“Collaborative innovation only happens when we get out of our hidey holes and we join together in community.”

“In the technology world, we’re definitely seeing energy storage coming into its own, maybe for the first time.”

About Amy
As co-founder and CEO at muGrid Analytics, Amy Simpkins solves wicked problems at the intersection of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. muGrid provides bankable techno-economic analysis, optimized control, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrids to maximize economic return, increase energy resilience, and promote energy equity in the US and around the world.

Amy is also an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and iterative development for entrepreneurs. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and host of the Power Flow Podcast, which amplifies diverse voices in the energy revolution.

Prior to muGrid, Amy designed and operated spacecraft as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin. Her technical expertise includes system and software architecture, system-level performance modeling, and design tradespace analysis. Amy holds an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She is a messy chef, a world traveler, a taekwondo green belt, a vocal music minor, a mom to three curious innovators, and a tough cookie in the Colorado backcountry.

Resources:

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.

Check out muGrid’s website.

Connect with muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn or Facebook.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.10 On Obliterating Entrepreneurial Underprivilege with Holistic Innovation Support with Deepa Lounsbury Jun 04, 2024

In this episode, Deepa and Amy discuss ways to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in climate tech and “making the umbrella bigger for who gets to be a climate entrepreneur,” along with the reality and challenges in the entrepreneurial space.

Quotes

“Underrepresented people are underrepresented often because they are undersupported.” – Deepa Lounsbury

“Bringing that productization piece is almost as important - or just as important - as the technical solution in and of itself.” – Amy Simpkins

Deepa is the CEO of LabStart, which unlocks underrepresented entrepreneurial talent from diverse communities and breakthrough climate innovations out of our national labs and institutions. She has spent the last 18 years bringing innovative clean energy products, programs, and initiatives to life. This includes bringing a new residential battery product to market at Enphase Energy, building out the $24M California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) program to fund early stage entrepreneurs, setting up GE’s first distributed energy platform, commercializing a demand side flexibility software product at a startup, and investing at one of the earliest clean energy venture capital firms, Angeleno Group.

Deepa holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Southern California as well as a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group.Resources:

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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3.09 On Breaking Knowledge Silos with Continuing Education with Esther Morales Apr 30, 2024

In this episode, Esther and Amy discuss innovation, continuous learning, and the courage to bring your ideas out into reality.

Quotes

“Energy education is a fundamental building block of participation.” – Esther Morales

“Part of what energy education and access to energy education does is it creates a synergy between people’s values and how they can actually show up in the world with work.” – Esther Morales

“There’s a difference between knowing some things and then knowing how that translates into workforce, into implementation, into what you can do with it.” – Amy Simpkins

“Everybody in this industry is dealing with the stovepipes.” – Amy Simpkins

“There are so many people who are teachers who know things that need to be translated and need to be taught.” – Esther Morales

“We’ve entered a new world where we all have to continue to learn because this ecosystem – energy, climate – it changes so quickly." – Esther Morales

About:
Esther Morales brings over 25 years of cross sector, business-facing and public service leadership to her work. Since January, 2021, she has served as the executive director of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI). Just prior, she was the Deputy Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).

Esther spent the preceding years, 2009 - 2017, working on policy implementation at the national level on a range of issues in Washington, DC including at the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Women’s Business Council, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and at the White House in the Office of First Lady Mrs. Obama. Before moving to Washington, DC, she spent ten years managing issue and candidate campaigns, and working with nonprofits organizing around racial justice issues. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

Resources:

Check out CELI's website.

Connect with Esther on LinkedIn or on Twitter.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.08 On the Viability of Commercial Energy Storage and the Art of System Architecture with Diane Dandeneau Apr 09, 2024

In this episode, Amy and Diane discuss the past and present landscape of opportunities in solar, along with the viability of commercial energy storage and the art of architecture in renewable energy projects.
“It is hard to do this, but the hard work needs to get done.” – Diane Dandeneau
Diane Dandeneau is a serial entrepreneur and lifelong artist. She has had a passion for renewable energy since living in a passive solar home while going to art school in NM. Her purpose in life is now focused on creating functional and beautiful integrated renewable energy, EV charging and energy management solutions that allow her customers to focus on their business while achieving the highest return on investment possible.

Resources:

Check out iPower Alliance.

Connect with Diane on LinkedIn

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! You can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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3.07 On Holistic Sustainability and Solar Packaging with Vanessa Benkert Mar 19, 2024

In this episode, Vanessa Benkert shares her passion for working in the renewable energy field, the power of storytelling and innovation, and an overlooked, yet important piece of the solar puzzle: transporting solar panels with reusable packaging.
Learn more: https://www.pvpallet.com/
With ~20 years of experience, Vanessa has a proven track record of developing and executing marketing initiatives for a range of companies, from small startups to large international organizations. Her skillset includes big picture thinking as well as hands-on tasks like website development, graphic design, and writing. Successfully starting and managing her own marketing agency for over 10 years highlights her entrepreneurial spirit and leadership. Vanessa sets herself apart in her ability to masterfully blend creativity and storytelling with strategy.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pvpallet

Instagram: @pvpallet

Twitter: @pvpallet

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pvpallet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pvpallet
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.06 On Streamlining Technology Deployment in the Field with Sierra Fan Jan 30, 2024

In this episode, Sierra Fan describes co-founding illu to better support technicians in the renewable energy field. She says, “It really came from personal experience… we tried to look for the software. We thought someone must have built something that makes this easier. We kept looking for it. We couldn’t find it… and that’s how we got started with this.”

She and Amy also discuss international renewable energy projects vs those in the US from her experience as a developer of solar and storage microgrids in Myanmar.

Quotes

“These are such cool, motivated entrepreneurial people that are doing this work. How do we make it easier for them to get the information they need?” – Sierra Fan

“I’m really excited about innovations that have their roots internationally, that are being brought back into the ‘developed world.’” – Sierra Fan

“Distributed energy is no longer out of sight, out of mind. You start to see all these stove pipes start to come down; that energy really does touch everything.” – Amy Simpkins

“There’s urgency that we need all these solutions to get on the ground and we need people to work together … to speed up the deployment of all these things where the technology is already there.” – Sierra Fan

Sierra Fan is the Co-Founder and COO of illu, providing software solutions for solar, storage, and EV charging companies to more easily onboard and manage their installers and technicians.
She also founded Mee Panyar, a developer of solar and storage microgrids in Myanmar. Previously, she financed more than $10Bn in energy and infrastructure projects while at Morgan Stanley, including 1.7GW of utility-scale renewable energy in the US.

Resources:

Check out illu’s website: https://www.illu.works/.

Connect with Sierra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sierrafan/ .

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! You can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.05 On Unlocking the Barriers to Accessible Solar Solutions with Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt Dec 12, 2023

In this episode, Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt shares her family’s journey to creating Gismo Power, her joy in driving EVs and traveling the seven seas, as well as her drive to make solar solutions more accessible to everyone.

Quotes

“It’s fun to run on sun.” – Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt

“Ease of interconnection, especially for small systems, would really explode growth.” – Amy Simpkins

“There are things that have to be addressed at a regulatory level that can help more than just this technology.” – Amy Simpkins

“I feel like I’m much more of a public servant, much more of an activist than an entrepreneur.” – Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt

In 1990, realizing that she wanted to see more of the world before she sold it, Erika abandoned an upwardly mobile position at a travel agency for a one-way ticket to the South of France. She lived and worked in Cannes, Paris and Hamburg before embracing the liveaboard life with her husband on their sailboat Pangaea for the last seven years. The spirit of Pangaea's Wandering Website took form decades ago as an informal newsletter while she studied at UC Berkeley.

Indigenous of Laguna Beach, California, Erika became a grassroots Technomad, faithfully maintaining her wireless Internet updates while sailing around the globe. Then the word "blog" arrived on the scene and she stopped writing for 20+ years, raising her 3 kids and establishing her first company, SRQUS LLC, with which she bootstraps GismoPower. Now she's a solar justice peace-seeker and kochluffel (look it up.)

Resources:

Check out Gizsmo Power’s website: https://gismopower.com/.

Connect with Erika via email: erika@gismopower.com.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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3.04 On the Push for Long Duration Energy Storage with Julia Souder Oct 31, 2023

In this episode, Julia Souder shares her passion for Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) and shares her ideas on how global organizations can work together to make it more widespread as an extremely resilient energy solution.

Quotes

“We are a huge part of the solution in the green energy transition.” – Julia Souder

“Despite what they tell you, it’s not a solved science.” [battery energy storage] – Amy Simpkins

“LDES really does de-risk the transition. It just needs more doors opened to play on the playground with everyone else.” – Julia Souder

“LDES is at the tipping point to provide the benefits.” – Julia Souder
About

Julia Souder is a strategic executive with over 20 years of expertise in the energy and environmental sectors as a coalition builder and advocate. She has been a longtime champion of clean energy technology, working extensively to support environmentally friendly technologies and equitable policies.

Julia leads the LDES Council’s strategy and vision to enable the advancement of long duration energy storage to the center stage of the energy transition worldwide.

Julia served as the Executive Director of the Long Duration Energy Storage Association of California (LDESAC). While there, she led the education and outreach of emerging and existing long duration energy storage developers, focusing on its importance to grid reliability and meeting climate goals.

Julia launched JAS Energies in 2019 to bring inclusive, diverse, and equitable transitions and policies into fruition. She provided a deep understanding of challenges facing the US electricity sector in reducing carbon emissions, building renewable energy projects, creating markets, and implementing a clean energy vision. Previously, Julia was a Director at the The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), focused on market and energy policy creation and implementation, creating coalitions and interpreted real-time grid operations and transmission planning.

Julia’s prior roles include senior positions at Clean Line Energy Partners, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Resources:

Check out the LDES council’s website: https://www.ldescouncil.com/.

Connect with Juila on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.03 On Delivering Financial Returns for Energy Storage and Microgrids with Amy Simpkins featuring Laura Novak Oct 10, 2023

In this episode, Laura and Amy discuss the energy storage and microgrid landscape, with a peek behind the curtain as Amy Simpkins finally answers her own questions as CEO of muGrid Analytics and microgrid architect.

Fresh from the RE+ 2023 conference, Amy and Laura explore the gap between the marketing around battery systems as solved science versus how much more research is truly necessary. Amy explains why 15 years of industry experience led to muGrid’s transition from strictly energy consultants to software vendors, tackling the current chasm between actual economic results delivered and how much more is possible, as well as why the financials are vital.

According to Amy, “The intelligent economic decisions are critical for any kind of battery technology and that is something that gets lost.”

Quotes - all by Amy Simpkins

“The entire value proposition of an energy storage system is in its control, in its decision making piece.”

"No matter which element on the periodic table you are using, you still have to intelligently command the battery to work and make intelligent decisions that will deliver financial results from your battery.”

"In order to actually deploy energy storage and associated hybrid systems, they have to generate revenue."

“We’ve made the transition from consultants who said what could be possible to a product vendor who says we can DO this. It’s not just probable, it’s possible, and we’re doing it.”
About

As co-founder and CEO at muGrid Analytics, Amy Simpkins solves wicked problems at the intersection of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. muGrid provides bankable techno-economic analysis, optimized control, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrids to maximize economic return, increase energy resilience, and promote energy equity in the US and around the world.

Amy is also an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and iterative development for entrepreneurs. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and host of the Power Flow Podcast, which amplifies diverse voices in the energy revolution.

Prior to muGrid, Amy designed and operated spacecraft as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin. Her technical expertise includes system and software architecture, system-level performance modeling, and design tradespace analysis. Amy holds an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.

Check out muGrid’s website.

Connect with muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn or Facebook.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3.02 On the Sustainable Future of Lithium with Ali Haji Sep 26, 2023

In this episode, Amy and Ali discuss lithium mining and how it affects the clean energy future.

Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution.

Together, Ali and Amy explore the split between mobility/electric vehicles and stationary batteries, the supply and demand of minerals (including the rising cost of lithium and the importance of recycling) as well as lithium extraction technology, and lithium vs other chemistries, like vanadium oxide, in addition to how much the grid can actually support.

According to Ali, “Batteries, in essence, are going to fuel the growth of everything.”
*A correction: The Mercedes car mentioned got 1000 km (621 miles) on a single charge, not 1000 miles.

Quotes

“We need to bring more resources online to help fuel this electrification.” – Ali Haji

“Ultimately with today’s prices, it’s clear and evident there is a massive supply chain gap that needs to be filled in order for us to carry on down this path of the clean energy revolution.” – Ali Haji

“Education is paramount. People don’t realize the importance of mining and what it’s doing to allow us to move towards this revolution. It’s an integral part of essentially everything we do, yet as far as I can remember, no one in school ever learned about mining.” – Ali Haji

“Moving into a future where we can view mining through an environmental lens and an ethical lens is going to be important in the future.” – Amy Simpkins

“Mining is a big part of everything that we do, whether we like it or not, but the best way to move forward is to educate people on its importance, but also ensure that we’re doing it sustainably.” – Ali Haji

“The fact that people are starting to think about where their energy comes from, where the equipment is coming from, where the raw materials that goes into that equipment is coming from signals a positive shift and makes me, in spite of all evidence, optimistic.” – Amy Simpkins

About/Connect

Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution. Since 2019 the company has been aggressively growing its assets in its extensive growth strategy through acquiring new resources and sites.
Website: https://www.ionenergy.ca/

You can connect with Ion Energy on Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, check out our awesome merch!

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3.01 On the SPI/RE+ Legacy with Julia Hamm - Live from RE+ 2022 Sep 11, 2023

On this episode’s one year anniversary, we are sharing for the first time our recording from the LIVE episode with Julia Hamm on her last days as the founder of Solar Power International (now RE+) and President and CEO of SEPA. This episode was recorded at RE+ in September 2022.

Quotes:

“We all want to accelerate this transition as fast as possible but we cannot do it in a way that sacrifices reliability or affordability or resiliency and most certainly not equity.”
– Julia Hamm

“All players – no matter where they sit in the value chain – are going to have to partner in ways that they’ve never partnered before… there needs to be a lot more intentionality about understanding where other players are coming from and then partnering with them in order to achieve common objectives.”
– Julia Hamm

“Utilities are going to have to partner in an unprecedented way going forward.” – Julia Hamm

“Rest is revolutionary. Rest is innovative.” – Amy Simpkins
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.13 On Disaster Mitigation and Recovery with Jennifer Gray Thompson May 17, 2022

Jennifer Gray Thompson is a lifelong resident of Sonoma Valley in Northern California. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and graduated from Dominican University in 2001 with degrees in English and History. After teaching high school for 10 years, Jennifer went on to earn a master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. Post graduate school, Jennifer worked for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.
She is the CEO of After the Fire, an initiative of 501c3 nonprofit Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), which was founded after the devastating fires in the North Bay of San Francisco in October 2017. RNBF is an organization dedicated to helping the region rebuild better, greener, safer, and faster. In summer of 2021, RNBF created After the Fire USA in response to the prevalence of massive megafires in response to climate change and wildland imbalances. Our tagline remains “Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.”
Jennifer is nationally recognized as a leader in the space of wildfire and has presented at several national conferences on the issue by invitation of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, HAC, Fannie Mae, Brownsfield, Smart Cities, FEMA, and many more. She is cofounder of CANVAS, an association of professional leaders in disaster working together to “listen locally, act regionally, reform nationally.”
Jennifer is the creator and host of the How to Disaster podcast, which highlights proven and effective leaders with great ideas in the space of disaster. She is on the board of directors of La Luz Center, a nonprofit serving primarily the Latino community in Sonoma Valley.
Jennifer interviewed Amy Simpkins on How to Disaster on Enhancing Equity and Sustainability back in September of 2021.

Quotables

“Every single community can recover at the same rate as another community if they are offered the right tools and capacity and funding and support.” - Jennifer Gray Thompson

“Energy is also an ecosystem.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

"What is good for the ecology is good for the economy." – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“The renewal of faith in humanity is really common in disaster places.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“The American culture is very good in a crisis and is very good at stepping in with heroics in a crisis. But what we’re bad at culturally is taking responsibility for our neighbors and our communities prior to the crisis.” – Amy Simpkins

“Disaster is a great leveler and a great teacher.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“There is a way forward and I believe clean energy is at the center of that.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.12 On Planning For Community-Centered Resilience with Jordana Vasquez May 10, 2022

Trained as an architect, Jordana is passionate about socially-driven multidisciplinary projects that advance climate resilience and social justice. Currently, she is the Manager for Climate Resilience & Equity at Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities). At R-Cities, she focuses on supporting cities in developing actions and implementation projects with climate resilience and equity lens.
Prior to her work at R-Cities, she worked at Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex), developing BE-Ex's industry resources in response to climate change. Before BE-Ex, she worked as a sustainability consultant and community development officer providing high-performance technical assistance and development aid for Hurricane Sandy's multifamily recovery and resiliency efforts.
She graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelors in Architecture, and is a LEED Green Associate. She holds certifications from the Environmental Leadership Program and the Global Leadership Human Impacts Institute.
Lastly, in 2019 she launched and co-founded Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS) - the only global digital collective and community that is 100% dedicated to advancing women of color working across the sustainability industry. Since then the community has brought together over 5,000 women of color through virtual and in-person events, social media channels, a digital community, and online publication.
Referenced episode Episode 2.03 On Intentionality & Intersections in Energy with Melanie Santiago-Mosier

Quotables

“What does resilience actually mean?” – Amy Simpkins

“The way I would define resiliency would be threefold: the ability to survive, the ability to adapt, and the ability to grow/thrive, no matter what kind of shocks and stresses.” – Jordana Vasquez

“The best thing you can do as an ally is listen. Don’t make assumptions.” – Jordana Vasquez

“Our reliance on fossil fuels for power and transportation needs to change.” – Jordana Vasquez

Jordana mentioned a quote by JFK: “Fix the roof while the sun is shining.”

“As communities, as cities, as a country, we are in a really unique position as a society to demand how we want to live in cities, how we want to power our cities, and how we want to prepare the next generation.” – Jordana Vasquez
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.11 On Fueling the Energy Revolution Through Startups with Claire Broido Johnson May 03, 2022

A senior operations and finance executive, Claire Broido Johnson is the director of the University System of Maryland Momentum Fund. (MMF). She has a proven track record in creating and managing successful businesses and driving operations: including as founder of SunEdison and program executive at the Department of Energy during the Obama Administration. At DOE, Claire guided the deployment of $11 billion in economic stimulus funds in 2009-2010 to improve the economy through the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
A bottom-line focused innovator, Claire also runs CBJ Energy where she developed an energy efficiency financing product for Serious Energy, launched new products and new states for Next Step Living, and managed energy projects and research for Katerra. Recognized for financial and operational expertise, she currently serves on the boards of BlocPower.io, the National Sierra Club Foundation, and Living Classrooms. Claire is also on the advisory board of Upsurge Baltimore, a Baltimore-based incubator, and a member of Blu Ventures network of early-stage DC/Baltimore investors
Claire earned a B.A. in environmental science and public policy from Harvard College, where she helped to create that major, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.
Claire recommends Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino and Mark C Winters to supercharge your entrepreneurial efforts.
Quotables
“I think finally even the most unresponsive person is realizing that climate change is here and there need to be solutions.” – Claire Broido Johnson

“I think all of us who are mentors and who care about climate change have to support early stage startups with good ideas.” - Claire Broido Johnson

“I have believed for a long time that the way we do innovation in this country, in general, is broken.” – Amy Simpkins

“I am trying to innovate the process of innovation.” – Amy Simpkins

“I move fast and break things.” – Claire Broido Johnson

“The small scrappy startups are here because we believe we can make a difference fundamentally.” – Amy Simpkins
“If you have one of those great ideas there’s no time like the present to find your mentor, fill your toolbox, and go make it happen because the world depends on you.” -Amy Simpkins
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.10 On the EV Battery Lifecycle - From Chemistry to Infrastructure with Dr. Veronika Wright Apr 19, 2022

Dr. Veronika Wright is an electrification enthusiast, consultant, and author. She holds a PhD in Technical Physics from the Graz University of Technology in Austria and gained extensive industry experience in batteries and electrification before founding her own social enterprise, Electrified Veronika, in 2021.
With a passion for people and technology, she provides education, technical advice, and mentoring in battery lifecycle management for clean transportation and energy. Having grown up in Austria and now living in the US, she lives by the mantra, “it is 100% impossible if you don’t try,” and is passionate about sharing this global perspective on the world’s “Drive to Electric.”
Dr. Veronika's book: The Drive to Electric

Dr. Veronika's YouTube Channel

Electrified Veronika Podcast
Quotables

“We’re ten years in and we’re still calling [Electric Vehicles] nascent technology.” – Amy Simpkins

“[These regulations] will be driving the recycling of materials and will help turn this chaos we have right now into something we can track and hopefully into the circular economy.” -Dr. Veronika Wright

“The lack of the feedback loop, the lack of accountability is a really big issue across the industry.” – Amy Simpkins

“We need to bring together the transportation sector and the energy sector… it will then enable the circular economy.” – Dr. Veronika Wright

Resources

Dr. Veronika's book: The Drive to Electric

Dr. Veronika's YouTube Channel

Electrified Veronika Podcast

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.09 On Innovation in Shared Mobility & Public Transit with Linda Khamoushian Apr 12, 2022

Linda Khamoushian is a Los Angeles native, and a graduate of UC Berkeley and UCLA. She holds a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She currently serves as the Director of Shared Mobility at GRID Alternatives.
Previously, she worked as the Policy Director for the California Bicycle Coalition and as an urban planning researcher in health equity, environment, and transportation. She has over 15 years of experience in organizational development, public policy, and community engagement. She also has a strong passion for protecting and preserving the environment, and seeks opportunities to promote well-being of the planet and people.
Quotables
“Shared mobility is a very under-utilized tool in our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.” – Linda Khamoushian

“You’re cutting off folks from economic opportunity by enforcing the carcentric idea.” – Linda Khamoushian

“Who are we designing for and how do we address outliers in a way that’s supportive of communities?” – Amy Simpkins

“We want to make sure that we’re not leaving anyone behind - in fact, that we’re including and inclusive and centering people at the forefront of this transition.” – Linda Khamoushian

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.08 On Inspiring the Next-Gen Clean Energy Workforce with Chaun MacQueen Apr 05, 2022

Chaun MacQueen oversees CE - Clean Energy. Bright Futures., a clean energy and career-connected education program at the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). She offers innovation and creative thinking in scaling the impact of CE’s work throughout the U.S. Chaun has over 25 years of experience designing and managing environmental education and social impact programs in the U.S. and abroad for diverse audiences.
In September 2021 (and also in 2015 and in 2008), BEF’s CE program was selected for a Green Power Leadership Award for Leadership in Green Power Education, presented by Center for Resource Solutions and EPA. CE began in 2002, originally called Solar 4R Schools, and they’re celebrating 20 years this year!
Prior to working for BEF, Chaun worked as a Senior Analyst at The Cadmus Group, Inc. where she implemented and evaluated energy education programs and conducted process evaluations of utility energy efficiency programs in various states in the U.S. Chaun served as Program Director for Community Energy Project in Portland for nine years, where she managed energy education, water conservation and environmental health education, direct service, and professional training programs. She also has experience with stakeholder engagement, coalition building and startup of new social and environmental impact initiatives both stateside and abroad.
Chaun has an M.S. in environmental studies from the University of Oregon and she graduated from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S in Natural Resource Management and Environment & Forest Biology. She also served as a community forestry Peace Corps Volunteer in Far-western Nepal (1997-1999).
Quotables

“The only way that innovation happens is by doing projects.” – Gregg Fraley

“I want to stay in my lane, but I don’t want to be stovepiped, either.” – Amy Simpkins

“These young people are going to help you remember why what you’re doing is so cool.” – Chaun MacQueen

“Bringing it [knowledge of the energy grid] all more into the forefront and saying no it’s not boring and it’s not solved science and it’s not all figured out. This is very interesting, very cool, and ripe for innovation.” – Amy Simpkins

“My niece and nephew are going to have to think about car purchase in terms of kilowatt hours, not miles per gallon.” – Chaun MacQueen

“Energy literacy is changing and appreciation of not just energy but all the roles of the people doing it.” - Chaun MacQueen

“Those kids are one strategic plan away from joining you in the field already.” – Chaun MacQueen
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.07 On Turning Energy Data into Actionable Information with Elizabeth Sendich Mar 29, 2022

Elizabeth Sendich is Lead Economic Modeler with the Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Macroeconomic and Emissions Team with the Office of Integrated & International Energy Analysis, and delights in the world of how and where things are made. She helps maintain EIA’s long-term international economic forecasts and enhances public understanding of important issues related to the industrial sector.
Before beginning work with EIA, Elizabeth studied chemical engineering at Michigan State University, finishing her BS in 2004 and her PhD in 2008, while working in the DOE-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Laboratory. Her dissertation covered the development and results of her model to simulate biorefineries integrated with realistic agricultural landscapes as providers of feedstocks and other goods simultaneously.
In her free time, she enjoys video games and crochet, and she loves nature and "wild" animals, particularly her husband, daughter, and service-dog-in-training.
Quotables
"Someone's got to support the decision making with something that we can at least start with as a point of agreement, and data is a great place for that." – Elizabeth Sendich
“Fusing these elegant models with human intuition is so powerful.” – Amy Simpkins

“We need data that is translated into information so that information can be translated into understanding.” - Elizabeth Sendich

Resources
You can find the data as legos image referenced in this episode on the Power Flow website (under "Resources.")
Referenced 2.04 with Nancy LaPlaca - the balance between simplicity and complexity (especially as regards data availability.)
Referenced future episode 2.08 with Chaun MacQueen (coming next week!) on energy education.
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.06 On Architecting the Clean Energy Future through Collaboration with Amy Simpkins featuring Laura Novak Mar 22, 2022

For this 20th Power Flow episode, we flip the script - Power Flow Creative Director, Laura Novak, interviews our erstwhile host, Amy Simpkins, putting her on the hot seat and giving her a dose of her own tough questions.
As co-founder and CEO at muGrid Analytics, Amy Simpkins solves wicked problems at the intersection of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. muGrid provides bankable techno-economic analysis, optimized control, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrids to maximize economic return, increase energy resilience, and promote energy equity in the US and around the world.
Amy is also an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and iterative development for entrepreneurs. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and host of the Power Flow Podcast, which amplifies diverse voices in the energy revolution.
Prior to muGrid, Amy designed and operated spacecraft as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin. Her technical expertise includes system and software architecture, system-level performance modeling, and design tradespace analysis.
Amy holds an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a messy chef, a world traveler, a taekwondo green belt, a vocal music minor, a mom to three curious innovators, and a tough cookie in the Colorado backcountry.
Quotables
All quotes by Amy Simpkins
“The drive for simplicity results in inefficiency.”

“We said ‘yes, simplicity and stability at any cost.’ And when I say any cost, I mean any economic cost and at the cost of the planet in carbon emissions. And the trouble is, we can no longer say that.”

“I think we need to have more spaces that are devoted to free exchange of ideas without fear of competition.”

“The economic market is what’s going to drive the widespread change.”

“Stability and efficiency at the cost of the planet is not acceptable.”

“We need to be able to take baby steps back from oversimplification, stovepiping, and this unwavering commitment to stability at any cost.”

“We are all interacting with the system. Whether you work in the industry or not, you live in it.”
Resources:

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.

Check out muGrid’s website.

Connect with muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.05 On Solar Reuse for Low Income Communities & a Whole-Life Approach with Maria Agazio Mar 15, 2022

Maria Agazio is a sustainability and renewable energy professional who serves the rocky mountain region. She is the Co-founder of Equitable Solar Solutions(TM), a nonprofit program that reallocates discarded solar panels that still have a useful life by installing them in low income communities in an effort to close the gap in access to solar. She was awarded the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2022 for her efforts.
She is passionate about preserving and restoring diverse, resilient communities that fit the needs of both the landscape and its inhabitants. She has a B.A in Environmental Sustainability a B.A in Business Administration and a minor in art from Western Colorado University. She is a LEED Green Associate, EcoDistrictsAP, and Post landfill Action Network certified Zero Waste Lead, and is pursuing a TrueAdvisor Zero waste certification.
Maria has worked with the global leader in waste diversion, Terracycle, on their zero waste box team and industrial design team. She has also worked with the second largest manufacturing company in America, Goodman, as a Sustainability and Energy Efficiency Lead for their multifamily and student housing division. Along side her role at ESS(TM) she currently works for a sustainability consulting and energy engineering firm called Iconergy. In that role she helps commercial and multifamily developers, architects and owners reduce their energy consumption through on-site renewable installations, energy modeling, commissioning, design review, and many other services centered around creating healthy, sustainable low polluting buildings.
In her free time, she enjoys crafting pottery and cruising in her bio-fueled 1969 Chevelle.
Quotables

“It’s crucial that we are very delicate with our resources right now and that we are ensuring we are using every piece of the raw material that we pull out for good.” – Maria Agazio

“I just hope that we as a collective put a focus on the beginning processes of innovations where we are gathering raw materials and also the end process of innovations because its so crucial we are taking a holistic view of these wonderful innovations… because in twenty years, where is it going to go?” – Maria Agazio

“That’s the cultural shift that has to happen towards sustainability: We have to start thinking about where things go when we’re done with them – whether that’s the banana peel you just put in the garbage or a solar panel.” – Amy Simpkins

“A new solution can be built every day, so take the opportunity to really push those boundaries and challenge what traditional renewable energy looks like.” – Maria Agazio

You can connect with Maria on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.04 On Gaps in Data Access & Balancing Complexity with Nancy LaPlaca Mar 08, 2022

Nancy LaPlaca, J.D., is a regulatory policy consultant who has worked at the cutting edge of regulatory policies that affect clean energy. In 2006, Nancy challenged the permit for a so-called “clean” coal plant with carbon capture and sequestration. Nancy and colleagues helped to stop that boondoggle, as well as other “clean” coal boondoggles around the U.S. Nancy served as Policy Advisor to an AZ Public Utilities Commissioner for 4 years, helped to promote policies that increase solar, energy efficiency and other clean energy solutions. Nancy has worked on natural gas supply and reserve issues, natural gas pipelines, methane leakage, GHG accounting, rate design, renewable portfolio standards, transmission and distribution, power plant permits, Integrated Resource Planning and ethics issues.
Nancy offers a webinar series on the regulatory system for energy and how it affects the clean energy transition at Clean Aire NC.

Nancy has worked extensively with Leslie Glustrom of Clean Energy Action, featured on episode 1.05 of Power Flow ("On Citizen Power for the Climate Crisis.") Leslie's episode inspired Power Flow listener Kelly to create 15minutesaweek.com - to support regular folks getting involved in energy policymaking with a commitment of just 15 minutes per week. Check it out! And get inspired by what the Power Flow community can do!
Quotables:
“They [utility companies] get away with it because so few people know how to access critical but extremely understandable information.” - Nancy LaPlaca

“The reason why I think the utilities are getting away with – literally with murder when you consider how we are murdering the future and killing the planet – is because we need this data. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a due process violation to not make this information available.” - Nancy LaPlaca

“Knowledge is power and data is knowledge.” – Amy Simpkins

“I still remember Leslie [Glustrom] getting escorted out of the room for saying the words ‘climate change.’” - Nancy LaPlaca

“It’s the regulators’ role to be watch dogs, not lap dogs.” - Nancy LaPlaca
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.03 On Intentionality & Intersections in Energy with Melanie Santiago-Mosier Mar 01, 2022

Melanie Santiago-Mosier is an award-winning energy expert and thought leader, implementing a vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in and through clean energy.
She is the Deputy Director for Clean Energy Group & Clean Energy States Alliance, sister nonprofits who provide technical expertise and independent analysis in support of communities and government leaders working for an equitable clean energy transition. Melanie ensures the organizations pursue their highest strategic goals while embedding principles of equity into all areas of work.
Before joining CEG & CESA, she was the Managing Director for Access & Equity for Vote Solar, where she managed Vote Solar’s work to build equitable partnerships with frontline communities; oversaw collaboration with those communities to design and advocate for programs that open up solar’s opportunities and benefits; and supported the organization’s internal work to grow as an organization that welcomes and supports people from all races, genders, backgrounds, and identities.
She has advanced clean energy policy for over a decade, including leading the government affairs efforts for organizations such as the Maryland Public Service Commission and Washington Gas Energy Services, after serving as counsel and policy analyst for the MD General Assembly. She also served as a regional policy director for SunEdison.
In 2015, Melanie was named one of Maryland’s “Leading Women” by The Daily Record, MD’s premier business and legal news publication. In 2019, she was awarded a WRISE Honor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by Women in Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy. In 2020, she was named one of “MD’s Top 100 Women” by The Daily Record. Melanie is an attorney licensed to practice law in Maryland. She holds her JD from the University of MD School of Law and her BA from St. John’s College. She serves on a number of volunteer boards and is a volunteer mentor for law students.
Quotables

“We’re all rowing in the same boat. We’re going in the same direction. It’s all about how do we best build out the clean energy system of the future and help different people get there.”
– Melanie Santiago-Mosier

“We are rebuilding the way that we do energy in this country, in the world. We are also simultaneously rebuilding the way we do work and the way we do business and doing that from a more equitable perspective, from a more justice-oriented perspective.”
– Amy Simpkins

“Centering communities doesn’t mean coming and giving handouts to communities. Centering communities means being in a listening posture first and foremost.”
– Melanie Santiago-Mosier

“Environmental racism is a real thing.”
– Melanie Santiago-Mosier

Resources
Melanie recommends that you check out Vote Solar to find out how you can get involved in creating inclusive and expansive renewable energy policies.

Check out the Initiative for Energy Justice for more information on important energy equity and energy justice principles. And you'll also want to spend some time with the Jemez Principles, which according to Melanie are "foundational for climate justice work!"

Also mentioned: Emergent Strategy by adrienne marie brown

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.02 On Market Parity for Solar & an Expansive Future with Darryl Parker Feb 22, 2022

An experienced and highly motivated business leader, Darryl Parker’s work in 57 countries makes him a leader in driving innovation across global, matrixed organizations and developing and executing strategies for complex organizations. He brings a strong entrepreneurial mindset, business acumen, passion for innovation and a true commitment to developing the talent around him to every role. He also designs sales and marketing programs that achieve financial targets and deliver beyond customer expectations.
Darryl shifted to renewable energy - specifically solar - from other high growth industries: high tech information systems and communications, leveraging the skills of guiding and growing organizations for his current role at Clean Energy Associates.
Prior to joining Clean Energy Associates, Parker held the role of Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Ampt, a PV power electronics business where he oversaw the global sales and field application engineering team, delivering significant customer value and 10X sales growth over the past five years.
He holds undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and an MBA in global management.
Quotables
“The grid has always been an amalgamation of multiple types of energy generation.” – Darryl Parker
“It’s so interesting to watch the evolution as people start to transform their knowledge from one form of energy generation to another.” – Darryl Parker

“You know when the ‘go big or go home’ guys are getting involved that the industry has real momentum.” – Amy Simpkins

“It’s just power. It’s just electrons running on a wire that helps us run our daily life. And how we get it the fastest, cheapest, most economical way- whatever. Let’s just do that! And make it available to everyone.” – Darryl Parker

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2.01 On Equity & Shaping Human Behavior with Puja Vohra Feb 15, 2022

Puja Vohra is the Director of Business Strategy at Slipstream, where she focuses on leading the expansion of Slipstream's clean energy programs and services in the Northeast. Puja has twenty years experience in energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment, strategic planning for utility program design, green building technology research and energy policies.
Prior to Slipstream, she was a principal analyst overseeing the commercial and industrial energy efficiency portfolio planning for National Grid’s Rhode Island programs. Prior to her utility experience she worked as an energy and sustainability consultant.
She currently serves as a board member at MA Climate Action Network and serves a member of City of Newton’s Energy Commission, where she contributed her expertise towards Newton’s Citizens Climate Action Plan. Puja has a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and a Master of Science degree in energy and climate.
Also referenced in this episode:

Episode 1.14 On Designing for Change & Compassion with Ahlmahz Negash, PhD

https://www.amysimpkins.com/podcast/episode-1-14/
Quotables
“So much market transformation has to happen in order for us to start thinking about electrification that we are pretty much starting from scratch.” – Puja Vohra

“How do you change the mindset of the whole supply chain?” – PV

“How do you focus on clean energy that is affordable? Does it take into account the people who are actually going to be using that energy? Are we bringing their voices into the discussion when we’re designing policies and programs to serve clean energy to these people?” -PV

“Is it all just lip service that these working groups are finding out? Or will the states and the cities and the local governments actually take action - and be able to fix or at least address energy justice or energy equity - in a way that they haven’t done in the past?” -PV
“Reducing your utility bills should be the economic incentive that’s driving behavior toward reducing consumption.” – Amy Simpkins
“Your utility wants you to be happy. For real.” – AS
If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.14 On Designing for Change & Compassion with Ahlmahz Negash, PhD Dec 07, 2021

Here on Power Flow we do a lot of thinking about the future of energy. For Ahlmahz Negash, PhD, it's what she does every day for the City of Tacoma in her job as a long range resource planner. She's helping the city not only plan for clean sources of energy (which they already have in spades) but also plan for electrification - enabling vehicles, buildings, and industrial processes to move to those clean sources of energy.

As a futurist, Ahlmahz is passionate about designing for agility and adaptability and counting on the fact that we'll have new knowledge available in the future and should expect our solutions to evolve along with that knowledge.
Ahlmahz is also a self-proclaimed "heart and mind" person and encourages us all to leverage the power of compassion to motivate us to create impact and build a better world.

Note: We discuss Episode 1.10 with Janette Freeman on the need to make personal change to find more impactful work.

Quotables

"We don't have any shortage of technology or economists, but what we could use a whole lot of are people committed to humanity, who want to see a future for everybody and not just themselves.”

“Can costs become a constraint and not just the objective all the time?"

"There is no greater compassion than worrying about the people that are going to be here that you'll never meet."

"We're sitting on this stockpile of clean energy. The best way we can move the city forward in its climate action plans is to electrify."

“It’s critical that we get a lot more input from the folks that are actually being impacted by the decisions that the utility makes.”

All above quotes by Ahlmahz Negash

This week’s guest

Ahlmahz Negash is currently a Senior Power Analyst at Tacoma Power in the Long-Term Resource Planning and Analysis group. Her role encompasses a wide range of activities including, leading cross functional teams, resource modeling, evaluating policy impacts, and developing innovative demand-side solutions.

Prior to joining Tacoma Power, Ahlmahz was a research fellow at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. She received her BS and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington in 2010 and 2015, respectively.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch!

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.13 On Opportunities at the Consumer/Utility Edge with Dr. Julieta Giraldez Nov 30, 2021

After a 10 year term at the National Renewable Energy Lab, Dr. Julieta Giraldez is working at the edge of technology and regulatory issues, at the edge of the utility, the energy policy, and the energy consumer. She is a facilitator of conversations that move clean energy projects forward.

We talk about a lot of edges in this episode: between research and implementation, between the public and private sectors, between complexity and opportunity, and between the data and decision making.

Quotables

"Where the technical meets the regulatory is a very exciting space, because it means we are advancing societal good."

“The way we used to plan before was an extremely simple set of assumptions. Now, just to even answer a question, you need to consider twelve other things times ten other scenarios to actually understand the impact of what you’re trying to look at. It’s a complex space now and that excites me.”

- All above quotes by Dr. Julieta Giraldez

“Complexity can feel scary or frustrating, but there’s also a ton of opportunity in complexity.”

“The way that we model things is still just a model. It can tell us important things about reality, but it’s never going to perfectly reflect reality.”

- Amy Simpkins

This week’s guest

A leader in the renewable energy sector, Julieta Giraldez is a Principal of Customer Solutions at Kevala, where she focuses on solving the challenges facing energy market participants interacting with the evolving electricity grid. Prior to joining Kevala, Dr. Giraldez worked for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where she led Distributed Energy Resources (DER) grid integration related projects.

Most recently, she focused on understanding how customer-sited resources such as solar, electric vehicles, and battery storage, can best be leveraged and safely integrated into distribution systems. She brings a holistic view of grid integration related issues, acknowledging the importance of including multiple perspectives in the evaluation of new emerging technologies, from developers and customers to technology providers, regulators and utilities.

Dr. Giraldez holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.S in Technical Mining and Energy Resources from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain.

Resources:

Connect with Julieta on LinkedIn.

Check out Kevala’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.12 On Interoperability and Breaking Down Stovepipes with Lori Wright Nov 16, 2021

Lori Wright is helping to solve tomorrow's problems today. She is a lawyer working in technology - often energy technology - and helping developers, designers, and innovators build systems that will stand the test of time.

She focuses on issues of cybersecurity and interoperability, topics that are often hard for implementers to stop and think about. Lori brings a long-game perspective on how the decisions we make today help or hinder the clean energy future, and we'd all do well to pay attention.
Also discussed in this episode: Episode 1.03 On the Future of Transactive Energy with Kay Aikin
Episode 1.06 On the Power of Holistic, Incremental Transformation with Liana Cassar(on Energy Policy)

Quotables

“Just because we can't solve it to the end doesn't mean we shouldn't start solving.”

“What's going to move solar into the future is market certainty.”

“Energy, like anything, is powered by data. Everything is going to be interoperable and we should just plan for that.”

“How do you predict the future? You look to the current and you look to the past.”

- Lori Wright

This week’s guest
Lori Wright is a partner and chair of AGG’s Technology practice. She represents buyers and sellers of technology and helps clients navigate the legal, business, and practical issues that arise in the course of the development, commercialization, procurement, and deployment of technology.

Lori’s practice includes representing domestic and international clients in transactions involving software development and licensing, digital transformation and complex global technology, and business process outsourcing. She frequently negotiates an array of complex sourcing relationships, including strategic alliances, business process outsourcing (BPO), IT outsourcing (ITO), and other strategic sourcing and revenue sharing arrangements. Lori has extensive experience restructuring and renegotiating legacy or otherwise unfavorable transactions, as well as advising clients through the process of termination, resourcing, or insourcing.

Resources:

Connect with Lori on LinkedIn.

Check out AGG’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch!

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.11 On Resilient Microgrids and the Courage to Implement with Daniel Wiggins Jr. Nov 09, 2021

After a historic flooding event in 2016, which left the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa without power and critical infrastructure, the tribe committed themselves to installing microgrids to ensure clean, resilient power on tribal lands. In May 2021, the tribe commissioned three building level microgrids, incorporating more than 520 kW of solar and over 1MWh of battery storage, the largest battery system to date in the state of Wisconsin. The project is named Ishkonige Nawadide, which means "it catches fire" in Anishinaabemowin.
Dan Wiggins is the visionary who led the team to implement these projects. He's been working for the tribe for over 10 years as a tribal energy manager and air quality technician, with expertise from utility scale infrastructure to residential energy efficiency, and now three tremendously successful microgrids.
It's been my great pleasure to work with Dan on his energy team to plan, design, and realize his vision for resilient tribal energy and energy sovereignty. This conversation is an extension of our professional partnership, and our friendship: fiery, passionate, fun, and very committed to doing projects when they are the right thing to do.

Referenced in this episode:

Episode 1.06 with Liana Cassar on Energy Policy
Episode 1.09 with Katherine Lucey on Air Quality

Quotables

"We all answer to somebody, whether it's leadership, whether it's our children, or whether it's the community we reside in. Really listening to all of those resources is the right thing to do."

"The way I approach renewable energy is that you have do first do it because it's the right thing to do. That has to be the #1 goal for any renewable energy project."

"Strategic planning is the fun part of project development. You get to take everybody's ideas, throw them in a blender, and hope something magic comes out."

This week’s guest

Daniel Wiggins Jr is a Bad River Tribal Member and the Mashkiiziibii (Bad River) Natural Resource Department’s Air Quality Technician (AQT). He has worked for the Tribe for nearly 10 years as the AQT and has had oversight of the Tribe’s Renewable Energy Activities since 2017.

He was recently tasked as Project Lead for the Ishkonige Nawadide Solar Microgrid Project, which installed over 500 kilowatts of solar and 1,000 kilowatt hours of batteries at three tribal facilities.

The Tribe’s energy projects are planned and executed on the Tribe’s ability to exercise energy sovereignty, and eventually reach the Tribe’s energy vision, “to empower and enable the community to move towards energy independence.”

Resources:

Connect with the Mashkiiziibii Natural Resource Departmen on Facebook.

Check out Bad River’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.10 On Solar Recycling and the Joy-Innovation Positive Feedback Loop with Janette Freeman Nov 02, 2021

We all know the green benefits of installing renewable energy generation like solar PV, but what happens at the system's end of life? If the panels end up in a landfill, we aren't doing our planet any favors.

Janette Freeman at FabTech is on a mission to keep panels out of landfills by either reusing or recycling them. In this episode, we talk about what the different paths to reuse and recycling look like and how to shift mindset to prepare for project end-of-life during earlier project phases to create an even greener clean energy future.
Janette is also a deep thinker and sees the connections, as I do, between personal development, business development, and innovation. We talk about the positive feedback loop created by joy and innovation and dream of a future where creativity spurs us on to a brighter future.

Referenced Often: Episode 1.05 with Leslie Glustrom on how to engage with policymakers

Quotables

"More joy brings more solutions."

"For most decomissions, those panels are fine and they are an asset."

"When we keep working on ourselves and keep listening to our intuition, our creativity, our innovation, and let our inside matter, the outside solutions become more evident to us."
-all above quotes by Janette Freeman

This week’s guest

Janette Freeman is passionate about saving the landfill from the millions of solar panels which will be coming to end-of-life in the years ahead.

She is the Director of Business Development for FabTech Solar Solutions, which does solar panel refurbishing and recycling, giving panels a second life or a proper cremation. Prior to working in renewables, she worked in personal development training and coaching. She is the author of three books and has a Doctorate of Consciousness Studies.

Resources:
Books:

Saving Us by Katharine Hayhoe

Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion by Amy Simpkins

Connect with Janette on LinkedIn.

Check out Fab Tech’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.09 On Empowering Energy Champions with Katherine Lucey Oct 26, 2021

Energy access affects health, safety, and education. Seventy-five percent of Africa’s population live without access to modern energy, and women are affected the most.

Our guest this week is Katherine Lucey, who is bringing the light to communities in Africa – literally. Her non-profit organization, Solar Sister, recruits women in sub-Saharan Africa and trains them in business skills. This provides women opportunities to distribute clean energy in underserved, off grid communities and to generate income for themselves and their families.

When people can access clean, renewable energy, families are healthier, children can study longer, and communities are more stable.

I’m a huge fan of entrepreneurship and using business as a force for good - not only to support the planet and see more clean energy fueling our world, but to support actual humans with the revenues coming in from the business…and this is the ultimate holistic solution.
Quotables

“Going green is not just a luxury. In this case, going green is beneficial for economics, for health, for safety.”

“These women are transforming the lives of their communities. People who were lighting their homes with candles or kerosene now have clean energy, solar powered lights, home systems, clean cookstoves that they can use in their homes...The two big impacts are access to energy for the community, and the economic opportunity for women entrepreneurs.”

“From an equity point of view, it's women and children who bear the brunt of the negative impacts of climate change.”

“I think the inertia caused by our privilege is one of our biggest challenges.”

- All above quotes by Katherine Lucey

This week’s guest

Katherine Lucey is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Solar Sister. Katherine is a Schwab Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year, an Ashoka Fellow, and a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur. She has received recognition and awards for her work with Solar Sister including Forbes “50 Over 50 Women of Impact”, Clinton Global Initiative, Social Venture Network, C3E, and International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) Champion of Change Award.

She holds an M.B.A. from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia. Prior to becoming a social entrepreneur, Katherine spent over 20 years as an investment banker on Wall Street providing structured finance solutions to the energy sector.
Resources:

Book discussed: Donut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist by Kate Rayorth

Connect with Solar Sister on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Check out Solar Sister’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.08 On Weaving a Narrative of Hope with Una Nowling Oct 19, 2021

The path to a clean energy future is likely not a straightforward one, strewn with complexities. Luckily, engineers love unpacking complexity.

Our guest this week is Una Nowling, a study in paradox. Una is a fuels engineer who knows so much about coal, she has been nicknamed by colleagues and clients "The Coal Goddess." Even so, Una is relentlessly committed to decarbonization. She takes a refreshingly balanced approach to decarbonization and the clean energy transition, bringing the practical wisdom of over 30 years of experience in the energy industry.

During our conversation, we consider the complexity that we'll need to hold in order to make the transition -- reliability, new technology blending with old technology, grid stability, and the need for more evolution than revolution.

Note: Episode 1.04 is referenced often- Episode 1.04: On EV Infrastructure and Green Workforce Development with Kameale Terry

Quotables

"Take some hope, combine it with passion, and apply our skills to come together and tackle these technical challenges."

"Think about all the challenges we overcame, all the first of a kind work we did, all everyone coming together, and we made it work. This, my friend, is engineering. This is the heart, the soul, the spirit of what engineering is all about."

"Try not to make the same mistake more than twice."

- All the above are by Una Nowling

“Hope is the key. And to channel passion behind that hope. That’s the motivating, driving force behind all of it.” – Amy Simpkins

This week’s guest

Ms. Una Nowling is a Project Manager and the Technology Leader for Fuels, Risk, and Reliability at Black & Veatch. She assists utilities and energy companies with decarbonization and efficiency improvement studies; fossil fuel to renewable energy conversion projects, environmental compliance and pollution reduction, research and development for the Electric Power Research Institute, National Energy Technology Laboratories, and others; and conducts technical and scientific training on various topics, as well as human resources training on gender equity and LGBTQIA+ equity in STEMM.

Ms. Nowling has managed more than 200 projects in her 28-year career at Black & Veatch, and is also an Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) campus.

Ms. Nowling is a frequent technical author and a radio producer of two weekly social justice programs on Kansas City Public Radio.

Resources:

Listen to Ms. Nowling at KKFI 90.1FM and check out the Black & Veach website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.07 On Stewardship of Aging Assets and Reuse with Zora Chung Oct 12, 2021

Battery energy storage is getting a great deal of press because of the way it is revolutionizing transportation and vehicle electrification as well as how it enables higher penetration of non-dispatchable renewable energy generation, both in front of and behind the meter.

But questions about battery end of life plague the technology.
Are batteries recyclable? What happens to batteries whose performance is no longer sufficient for the rigors of electric vehicles? Could EV batteries have a second life in a stationary application?
In order to answer these questions, we need to be able to assess the health of batteries. Zora Chung is doing exactly that with ReJoule -- greatly expanding and standardizing battery state of health measurements to give batteries a second life and create a circular economy for batteries.

As a data scientist, I believe that knowledge is power, and more data allows us to make better decisions for consumers and for the planet.

Episode 1.04: On EV Infrastructure and Green Workforce Development with Kameale Terry is referenced often.

Quotables

“We need to open up that black box [on measuring battery life] and understand it. One way we need to do that is through standards. If everybody is speaking a different language, opening that black box is more like a Pandora’s box.”
"People think in binaries, that either it works or it doesn't work. But how do you define what works?"
“Everybody has a role they can play... you can have an impact. As long as you get started, your impact will start to grow.”

All quotes above by Zora Chung

This week’s guest

Zora is the cofounder and CFO at ReJoule, a battery diagnostics and optimization startup with a mission to reduce battery waste and enable the circular economy for batteries.

Before founding ReJoule in 2017, she spent 13 years in corporate finance at Clorox and Walmart eCommerce. She's created long-range strategic and financial plans, negotiated contracts, and evaluated new and existing business models and optimized them for scalable growth.

At ReJoule, she manages "all things non-technical" and has helped ReJoule secure almost $5M in non-dilutive grants. Their biggest grant is a $3M project funded by the California Energy Commission to repurpose used electric vehicle batteries in a second-life application.

Resources:

Connect with ReJoule on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Check out ReJoule’s website and watch this micro documentary on ReJoule.
If you enjoyed the conversation, please leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.06 On the Power of Holistic, Incremental Transformation with Liana Cassar Oct 05, 2021

As an energy industry professional, I know that energy policy is important, but policymaking itself remains something of a black box.

State representative Liana Cassar of Rhode Island is pulling back the curtain for us today.

Liana's professional background is systems thinking and design for the health care sector, but as a legislator, she balances myriad legislative priorities including energy policy.

On this episode, Liana shares with us how she learns about domain specific issues, how she helps educate constituents on the issues at hand, and how she looks for holistic solutions that are integrative and solve multiple issues facing communities at once.

*Note: Episode 1.04 with Kameale Terry is referenced often. Check it out: Episode 1.04: On EV Infrastructure and Green Workforce Development with Kameale Terry

Quotables

"There's that space between shutting down the old and turning on the new. It's really a rich and important space, and we need to get it right."

"My bottom line for how we make change: we engage."

“So much mythology is getting in the way of good work.”

“What is going to be the right thing that is best for the well-being of all?”

- All quotes above by Liana Cassar

“Energy is an intersectional issue that touches every single aspect of our human lives and it affects our planet.” – Amy Simpkins

This week’s guest

Representative Liana Cassar is in her second term in the Rhode Island House of Representatives. Her legislative priorities are good government, economic justice, reproductive justice, and environmental stewardship. She currently serves on the House Committees on Health and Human Services, and Small Business.

Rep. Cassar has spent the past 20+ years working across the health care and public health sectors in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
With a background in public health, operations and systems, she currently consults with mission-driven and women-led businesses, mainly in the care economy, on operations planning, change management and systems development. She holds a Masters in Public Health from Boston University and a Masters in Business Administration from Simmons College.

Resources:

Connect with Liana Cassar on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Check out Cassar Consulting’s website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.05 On Citizen Power for the Climate Crisis with Leslie Glustrom Sep 28, 2021

What can regular citizens possibly do about climate change? To move the clean energy transition forward?

Leslie Glustrom was a humble scientist who "belongs in a lab working on a problem only one or two other people understand." But as a mom she couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to do something, anything, to leave a cleaner planet for her kids.

She dedicated herself to citizen advocacy -- working hard to rally communities to get energy policy passed at local, state, and federal levels, and engaging large companies to change their approach.

If you have been wondering what one person can do, I invite you to listen to Leslie and get inspired. She's proof that all of us can make a difference.

Quotables

"Every minute you spent in despair is a minute you didn't spend in leadership."

“I was no kind of mother if I didn’t do everything I could to turn around what we now call the climate crisis. All those soccer games and ballet lessons and everything else you do for your kids – all of that was useless if we didn’t leave them a liveable planet.”

“I bring the perspectives of a scientist, a mother and an organizer to bear on the defining issue of our time.”
-all Leslie Glustrom

This Week’s Guest

Leslie is trained as a biochemist and scientist but resigned her job in 2004 to work as a full-time (unpaid) climate advocate at the local, state and national level. She has close to 20 years of experience at the Colorado PUC and working with communities throughout the country to accelerate our transition to a cleaner, more resilient energy future. She has won numerous awards for her climate work.

Resources:

Connect with Leslie Glustrom on LinkedIn and check out the Clean Energy Action website .

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.04 On EV Infrastructure and Green Workforce Development with Kameale Terry Sep 21, 2021

One of the biggest concerns I have heard from laypeople about the electric vehicle transition is about the availability of charging stations. Kameale Terry is helping to address that need with ChargerHelp! which boasts a specialized workforce of charging station maintenance professionals, able to troubleshoot non-working EV charging stations and get them back online.
In doing so, Kameale is not only contributing to the electric vehicle revolution, she is developing the new green workforce - providing solid middle class jobs that advance clean energy and provide healthy, safe work environments with excellent stability for her team.
I also loved talking to Kameale about collaborative ideation and making sure people are "in the room" with lived experience and expertise when decisions are made.

Quotables

“It’s a beautiful thing that one day we'll be able to look back and say we were part of the generation that really changed the trajectory of the health of our nation in regard to air quality.” -Kameale Terry

“Let's have the future right now. Let's reimagine transportation, let's reimagine how we take care of the environment and the things that we create, and the impact of the things that we create. It’s time to do it.” -Kameale Terry

This week’s guest

Kameale is the Co-Founder and CEO of ChargerHelp, Inc. an app that enables on-demand repair of electric vehicle charging stations. As the former Director of Programs at EV Connect, an electric vehicle charge station network provider, Kameale structured and led teams to execute electric vehicle infrastructure projects and programs in the United States, Australia, and Canada for commercial and government entities.

Her most notable projects include the Electrify America – Phase One Program, the Southern California Edison Charge Ready Pilot, and the New York Power Authority portfolio. Prior to this role Kameale created, hired, and oversaw the Customer Experience Department at EV Connect, by partnering with the Southbay Workforce Investment Board to employ candidates from the local community.

As a South Central Los Angeles native, Kameale believes that an equitable green economy can be achieved through impactful workforce development and realignment.

Resources:

Connect with Kameale Terry on LinkedIn and check out her website.

Follow ChargerHelp! on LinkedIn and check out their website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.03 On the Future of Transactive Energy with Kay Aikin Sep 14, 2021

As we transition to an all-electric future, we are presented with an unprecedented opportunity to control individual device usage to be more efficient. How do edge devices “decide” whether it’s efficient to operate? Perhaps the answer lies in proper economic incentive. Transactive energy is a concept where the instantaneous price of energy allows the grid to communicate its challenges to users and for users to communicate back to the grid their priorities.

How does it work? This week we are talking to Kay Aikin at Dynamic Grid for a crash course in how transactive energy works and how it could shape the grid of the future.
Quotables

"I think that people are starting to understand that the decisions they make with their finger [on their devices] make a difference." – Kay Aikin

"We have to start thinking beyond the edge of envelopes. Everyone has a different envelope, and as long as you are thinking past the edge of yours, you are contributing to the solution."
- Kay Aikin and Amy Simpkins

This Week’s Guest:

Kay Aikin is the co-founder of Introspective Systems LLC. and Chief Product Officer of Dynamic Grid, a software company based in Portland Maine. She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and holds a degree in energy/sustainability engineering. She has spent her career as an energy engineer, architectural designer, and business development executive, currently Chief Product Officer of an AI-based complex systems software company focused on energy controls software.

Over the last few years working with partner, Dr. Caryl Johnson they studied the application of AI/complex systems to the integration of Distributed Energy Resources into the electrical grid as an expansion of her experience in sustainable technologies. She is a recognized Transactive Energy expert and is a regular speaker at conferences on this topic as well as distributed intelligence in the electrical grid. She is on the Board of the Grid Wise Architecture Council (GWAC), she is one of 13 members setting overall direction for the Department of Energy in the areas for grid modernization and smart grids. She is also a member of IEEE Power and Energy Society, Smart Electric Power Alliance, Seismological Society of America. She is an active participant in SEPA’s Transactive Energy Working Group, Microgrids and the Grid Edge group for the Interstate Renewable Energy Council.

Resources

Connect with Kay Aikin on LinkedIn and Twitter
Follow DynamicGrid on LinkedIn and Twitter, and check out their website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.02 On Battery Technology Innovation with Eloisa de Castro Sep 14, 2021

In this episode, we get nerdy about batteries and how battery technology has the power to drive the energy transition.

Energy storage is a crucial piece of the clean energy future. It mitigates the intermittency of nondispatchable renewable generation like solar or wind and allows us to shift energy to when it is truly needed while also providing grid stability.

Lithium-based batteries are currently the front-running energy storage candidate due to their wide use in personal electronics over the past 25 years, their high energy density, and high cycle lifetimes. But lithium-based batteries are not without challenges - from accessibility of materials to fire hazards during operation to a lack of recyclability, there are plenty of opportunities to challenge lithium's dominance as a battery chemistry.
Eloisa de Castro and her company, Enerpoly, are looking to do just that with humble zinc-manganese -- the same type of chemistry as your standard alkaline battery. They are looking to make this workhorse both rechargeable and scalable so they can beat lithium in material availability, manufacturability, safety, recyclability, and yes, affordability.

Quotables:

“The innovation that needs to happen in the energy industry is around the integration of technology more than around the technology itself.”
-Eloisa de Castro and Amy Simpkins

“One of the challenges around trying to find solutions in the energy industry is that we, as humans, have this common desire to simplify problems or solutions into a single metric that we have to reference.

But, when you're solving an integrated engineering problem, there are a lot of different factors that you can play with. So you have to choose the ones that are the most important to you.”

-Eloisa de Castro

This Week’s Guest

Eloisa de Castro is CEO of Enerpoly, the Swedish zinc-ion battery technology company that is generating buzz in Europe's energy industry and has been selected as one of 2021's Top 5 Battery Tech Challengers by the Energy Tech Summit.

Eloisa comes with a wealth of experience in technology leadership, having spent over 10 years in engineering and operations in the energy and aerospace industries. Prior to Enerpoly, she served as Director of Market Operations and Program Management at Modern Energy. Eloisa earned her bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and her MBA from INSEAD in France.
Resources:

Connect with Eloisa de Castro on LinkedIn.

Follow Enerpoly on LinkedIn and check out their website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.01 On Bringing All Minds to the Whiteboard with Amy Simpkins Sep 14, 2021

In this episode, Power Flow host Amy Simpkins shares her vision for the podcast and the importance of collaboration in innovation.

Featuring conversations with energy experts, Power Flow showcases all things energy: the new energy economy, the all-electric future, sustainability, resilience, and equity.

Learn how microgrid project development is similar to spacecraft acquisition. Also: sustainability, community resilience, the new energy economy, all-electric future, and moving from centralized to distributed architectures.

Amy’s objective is to start conversations that dream a new dream in the context of collaboration, understanding that no one person has all the answers to the energy crises that are facing our world right now. Using the power of collaboration to save the planet together, we can tap many people’s zones of genius and learn about the exciting solutions all around us.

Quotables

“The way that we innovate, the way we move forward is not just diversity for the sake of diversity, but it’s a diversity of conversation and experience, bringing the vast experience and knowledge and inspiration from all different kinds of people together. Those are the keys to changing the world.”

“I believe that the most potent form of innovation is collaborative, where you get multiple minds to the whiteboard to solve problems together. We need to have conversations with people who don’t think like us.”

This Week’s Guest

Amy Simpkins is Co-Founder, Host, and Chief Architect of the Power Flow Podcast. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and is known as a speaker and thought leader in innovation.

Amy is CEO of the renewable energy startup muGrid Analytics, who solves problems at the edge of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. She is dedicated to creating a sustainable energy future for the planet, one project at a time.

Previously, Amy designed, integrated, and operated spacecraft at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. During her tenure as an aspiring Spacecraft Systems Architect, she contributed to programs such as Juno, Stardust-NExT, Orion, and Space Radar, and worked in dynamic idea incubation groups for advanced aerospace innovation.

Amy holds an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California. She is a messy chef, a world traveler, a taekwondo green belt, a homeschooling mom of three, and a tough cookie in the Colorado backcountry.

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Follow Power Flow on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Follow muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and check out their website.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. See you at the whiteboard!

Episode 1.00 Trailer Jul 21, 2021

The energy revolution is coming, and it's all hands on deck. Amplifying the expertise of the leaders in the new energy economy and inviting diverse voices to the table, we'll talk solar power, battery storage and battery alternatives, microgrids, renewable energy, distributed energy architectures, energy policy, energy equity, and all things energy.

I'm your host, Amy Simpkins, renewable energy CEO (and Rocket Scientist) and I am passionate about creating sustainable change. I believe that access to electricity is no longer a luxury -- it's a human right. I'm driven by the desire to leave this world better than I found it. I believe in the power of collaboration -- that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum.

And innovation is the only way humanity will survive.

Recent natural disaster events impacting access to power, like the Texas Power Crisis during the winter storms of 2021 or the raging California wildfires of 2018-2020, combined with concern over anticipated future events, like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in Oregon, have elevated conversations about resilience, independence, and sustainability to new, more urgent heights.

If we are truly going to meet the challenges to the energy revolution and to achieve these ideals, we need to bring all minds to the whiteboard.

That’s why Power Flow Podcast was born.

I've always worked in male-dominated environments. Yet, the more I engage with women, the more I witness very different approaches to innovation, problem solving, and solution implementation. We possess a treasure trove in untapped riches of expertise from female, non-binary, and BIPOC professionals, all relentlessly working to make this new energy future a reality, yet too often unseen and unheard.

Solving the challenges we face in the energy industry can solve intersectional problems for Earth and its residents. A shift from fossil fuels to renewables not only increases sustainability -- an important component of slowing and reversing climate change -- it will also reduce pollution near low-income or racially diverse neighborhoods.

A shift to distributed energy improves community resilience through microgrids and minigrids. Community resilience and distributed energy lead to energy equity - ensuring access to clean, reliable energy for all.

Join me in a deep dive exploring the solutions clean energy can offer to our earth as we bring more voices to the microphone and more minds to the whiteboard, shining a spotlight on new ideas and perspectives, tapping into the vast expertise and intersectional thinking that's already here. As we thoughtfully consider the tremendous challenges of the energy revolution, we can collaborate to achieve sustainability, equity, and resilience. It’s time to amplify new ideas that can help us innovate more efficiently, with better outcomes, harmonizing the threads of collaboration so we can build the future together.
Click to subscribe here on Buzzsprout, get email updates by subscribing at our homepage, or get ready to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
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