Power Flow

Power Flow

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 our planet 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. What does that future look like? 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. I began my career in aerospace – yes, as an actual rocket scientist – believing that technical and scientific advancement through the exploration of space would be the ultimate way to change the world. After 10 years of designing, modeling, integrating, and flying spacecraft, I began looking for ways to have a more direct and powerful impact. When I co-founded renewable energy startup muGrid Analytics with my partner, it used all of my gifts and skills from my entire career to do good in the world. The thing is, I see the world as a set of linkages. I can see how everything is connected in a complex web of synergy and interdependence. The further I explored the energy economy, the more I could see its far-reaching impacts for individuals, for the people, for the planet. 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. Find us at http://powerflowpodcast.com

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
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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!