In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Clean Energy, Wes Ashworth, host and President of Lee Group Search sits down with Tina Tosukhowong, Investment Director at TDK Ventures, to explore what separates deep-tech companies that scale from those that stall between the lab, pilot plant, and first commercial facility. Tina brings an unusually valuable perspective to venture investing. Before becoming an investor, she spent years as a chemical engineer and industrial operator working across process development, pilot operations, scale-up, commercialization, manufacturing, and customer qualification.  

That operating experience shapes how she evaluates climate tech, advanced materials, AI infrastructure, and other capital-intensive technologies today.

Tina explains why scaling is not simply a matter of building a larger version of a successful pilot. At commercial scale, entirely new risks emerge around heat transfer, fluid flow, contamination, materials handling, uptime, permitting, utilities, feedstocks, safety, supply chains, and integration with customer sites. The companies that succeed are often the ones that identify failure modes early, run the right experiments, and learn faster than their capital disappears. 

The conversation also tackles one of the most important questions in deep tech: When has a company actually earned the right to scale?

Wes and Tina explore why raising too much money too early can be dangerous, how founders should think about risk retirement before committing hundreds of millions of dollars to a first commercial plant, and why the strongest financing strategy aligns capital with specific learning milestones. They also discuss founder-market fit, coachability, executive hiring, productive board conflict, and why the right investor syndicate can matter as much as valuation. 

The discussion then moves into the rapidly evolving physical infrastructure behind AI. Tina breaks down opportunities across data-center power delivery, energy storage, cooling, thermal materials, networking, semiconductors, and photonics. She explains why the next wave of AI infrastructure innovation may come not only from better chips, but from everything required to power, connect, and cool them efficiently.  

The episode also explores fusion energy, synthetic fuels, critical minerals, and frontier technologies, including Tina’s perspective on Type One Energy, INERATEC, and the growing overlap between clean energy, computing, advanced materials, manufacturing, and national supply-chain resilience. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

•  Why industrial scale-up exposes risks that laboratory success cannot predict 
•  What founders should prove before committing to a first commercial facility 
•  How capital discipline can prevent expensive first-of-a-kind mistakes 
•  Why learning speed and coachability matter so much in deep-tech leadership 
•  When experienced executives help startups and when they can slow them down 
•  Why investor syndicates and boards become critical when plans break 
•  Where Tina sees overlooked opportunities in AI data-center infrastructure 
•  Why cooling, rack-level power conversion, and photonics could become major bottlenecks 
•  What industrial operating experience reveals about the future of fusion 
•  How e-fuels, critical minerals, AI, and advanced materials are increasingly converging 

For founders, investors, operators, and leaders building the next generation of clean energy and deep-tech companies, this episode is a practical look at what it really takes to move from possibility to commercial reality.

Links:
Tina Tosukhowong on LinkedIn
TDK Ventures Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with David Mackanic, Co-Founder and CEO of Anthro Energy, to explore why the electrolyte may be one of the most overlooked levers in battery performance. 

Anthro Energy is developing Proteus, a phase-change electrolyte designed to enter a battery cell as a liquid and then solidify during formation. The goal is to improve safety, mechanical stability, swelling behavior, and compatibility with higher-energy chemistries while using existing lithium-ion manufacturing equipment. 

David explains why this approach could matter for everything from silicon-rich batteries and consumer electronics to EVs, robotics, defense, autonomous systems, and physical AI.

The conversation also gets into one of the biggest challenges in battery innovation: making something work not just in a laboratory, but consistently, economically, and at industrial scale.

Wes and David discuss:

• Why the electrolyte has historically received less attention than the anode and cathode
• How Proteus transitions from liquid to solid inside the battery cell
• Why "drop-in" manufacturing does not mean zero process changes
• How mechanical stabilization can help address silicon expansion, cracking, swelling, and degradation
• Why better batteries require progress across energy density, safety, cycle life, and manufacturability at the same time
• How Anthro thinks about reducing both the frequency and severity of battery safety events
• Why a more expensive electrolyte can still create greater value at the full cell and application level
• Why robotics, autonomous systems, defense, and physical AI create a different battery problem than conventional EVs
• How structural batteries could eventually change the architecture of products themselves
• How Anthro Atlas uses AI to explore enormous electrolyte design spaces and accelerate materials development
• Where AI predictions still have to prove themselves against real-world chemistry and manufacturing
• What changes when a materials science company moves from discovery into production
• Why Anthro is scaling advanced electrolyte manufacturing in the United States
• Why the future of batteries is unlikely to be defined by one winning chemistry

David’s background spans mechanical engineering, chemistry, polymer science, and advanced battery research, including a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford focused on polymer systems for safer, longer-lasting, higher-energy lithium-ion batteries. 

This episode is a deep look at the intersection of battery technology, advanced materials, AI-driven discovery, U.S. manufacturing, energy storage, robotics, and the future of electrification.

Links:
David Mackanic on LinkedIn
Anthro Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode, Wes Ashworth sits down with Mike Richter, President of Brightcore Energy, to explore geothermal heating and cooling as a practical building-performance strategy. Mike brings a rare perspective to the conversation. After a 15-year NHL career that included a Stanley Cup championship and Olympic medal, he built a second career focused on climate, energy efficiency, and the built environment.

Mike explains the critical difference between geothermal power generation and the ground-source systems used to heat and cool buildings. He breaks down the physics in accessible terms, then shows how smaller drilling rigs, directional drilling, hybrid systems, advanced controls, and real-time data are expanding what is possible in dense cities and occupied buildings.

The conversation also examines why retrofits are the true test of decarbonization. Existing buildings come with aging infrastructure, limited space, complex load profiles, and owners who often wait until equipment fails before considering alternatives. Mike outlines why early evaluation matters and why every geothermal project must be designed around the building, geology, distribution system, operating needs, and financial horizon.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why geothermal HVAC is different from deep geothermal power
• How the ground can function as a stable heat source, heat sink, and thermal battery
• Why urban and occupied-building retrofits are becoming more feasible
• How Brightcore integrates engineering, drilling, controls, implementation, and performance monitoring
• What The Beresford project demonstrates about geothermal in a historic New York City building
• Why one-directional cooling loads, including data centers and ice rinks, create new design challenges
• How Local Law 97 is changing capital planning for New York City building owners
• Why education, perceived risk, financing, and timing remain major barriers to adoption
• How better building systems can reduce operating costs while improving comfort, air quality, and performance

Mike offers a grounded view of the market. Geothermal can deliver major efficiency and emissions benefits, but it is not a universal, one-size-fits-all solution. The opportunity depends on sound engineering, realistic economics, thoughtful integration, and a willingness to evaluate options before an emergency replacement locks a building into another generation of legacy equipment.

This episode is essential listening for professionals in commercial real estate, facilities, engineering, higher education, government, finance, climate policy, and renewable energy who want to understand how geothermal retrofits can move from niche technology to mainstream building infrastructure.

Topics: geothermal heating and cooling, ground-source heat pumps, commercial building retrofits, building decarbonization, energy efficiency, urban geothermal, Local Law 97, thermal energy storage, HVAC electrification, Brightcore Energy

Links:
Mike Richter on LinkedIn
Brightcore Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

The bigger question is whether the industry can finally learn to deliver complex projects predictably, repeatedly, on time, and at a cost investors and utilities can accept.

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, sits down with Tony Roulstone, Lecturer in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Cambridge and former Group Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Nuclear Engineering.

Tony brings decades of experience spanning nuclear energy, aerospace, complex engineering programs, business transformation, and nuclear education. That perspective leads to a fascinating argument: the biggest breakthroughs nuclear needs may have less to do with reactor physics and more to do with how reactors are manufactured, financed, constructed, and repeated.

The conversation begins with a Rolls-Royce aerospace failure that left Boeing 747s waiting for engines. The technology problem ultimately exposed a deeper organizational problem. Tony explains why that lesson still matters for nuclear projects today.

From there, Wes and Tony examine one of nuclear energy's fundamental challenges. Building a large reactor can resemble manufacturing an aircraft in a field. Thousands of people, intricate supply chains, enormous documentation requirements, specialized inspections, and long construction timelines make repetition and productivity incredibly difficult.

That is where small modular reactors, or SMRs, could change the equation.

Tony explains why smaller does not automatically mean cheaper and why the real economic opportunity behind SMRs depends on three principles:

• Standardization: Stop redesigning the product for every customer and site.
• Modularization: Move significantly more construction into controlled factory environments.
• Production learning: Build repeatedly enough for teams, suppliers, and processes to improve from one unit to the next.

The discussion also explores advanced nuclear reactors, including high-temperature gas reactors, liquid-metal systems, and molten salt concepts, along with what new reactor technologies could mean for safety and industrial applications.

Tony and Wes also confront nuclear's most persistent public challenge: trust. They examine lessons from Chernobyl, the importance of organizational safety culture, and why modern nuclear safety cannot be understood solely through the industry's historical accidents.

Finally, they tackle the false choice between nuclear energy and renewable energy. Deep decarbonization will require an entire energy system, including electricity, industrial heat, transportation, storage, renewables, and firm low-carbon generation. The real question is not which technology wins. It is how these resources work together.

In this episode:

• Why technically brilliant projects can still fail
• What aerospace can teach nuclear about systems engineering
• Why large nuclear construction struggles with productivity
• The real economics behind small modular reactors
• Why SMRs require fleet deployment and repeatable production
• Standardization, modularization, and manufacturing learning
• Advanced nuclear reactor technologies and their potential
• Nuclear safety, Chernobyl, and public confidence
• Private capital and the growing nuclear ecosystem
• Why nuclear and renewables should not be treated as opposing camps
• What nuclear must accomplish by 2035 to prove it can truly scale

The ultimate test is simple: nuclear must become predictable.

If the industry can turn extraordinary engineering projects into repeatable industrial products that arrive when promised and near the cost promised, nuclear could play a much larger role in the global energy transition.

Links:
Tony Roulstone on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, sits down with Bryan Guido Hassin, Co-Founder and CEO of DexMat, to explore why the future of electrification, renewable energy, AI data centers, grid expansion, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing may depend on a fundamental materials transition. 

Bryan brings an unusually broad perspective to the conversation. His career has spanned software entrepreneurship, energy technology, climate innovation, venture ecosystems, and deep tech. He also co-founded Third Derivative, where exposure to hundreds of climate technologies helped reveal a recurring challenge: nearly every major electrification pathway depends on rapidly scaling conductive materials such as copper, while supply, performance, and production constraints continue to intensify.  

That realization ultimately helped lead Bryan to DexMat and Galvorn, an advanced carbon material made from aligned carbon nanotubes. DexMat is developing Galvorn for applications where conductivity alone is not enough and properties like low weight, strength, flexibility, heat dissipation, corrosion resistance, and durability become critical. 

In this conversation, Wes and Bryan explore:

• Why copper could become a major bottleneck for electrification and renewable energy growth
• How AI data centers add another layer of pressure to materials demand
• Why mining and recycling more copper may help, but may not solve the full problem
• How Galvorn is made and why carbon nanotube alignment is the key breakthrough
• Where Galvorn can compete with copper today and where copper still has advantages
• Why conductivity must be evaluated alongside weight, heat, strength, frequency, and system design
• How wet fiber spinning could help advanced carbon materials scale economically
• The qualification hurdles behind aerospace, defense, medical, grid, and wire-and-cable adoption
• Why hard-tech commercialization requires manufacturers, investors, policymakers, and customers to move together
• What investors often misunderstand about materials startups
• How entirely new materials can unlock designs that were previously impossible

Bryan also shares the personal journey behind the work, including the influence of Nobel laureate Rick Smalley at Rice University and how a career spent studying climate innovation ultimately brought him full circle into advanced materials. 

The bigger idea is simple but consequential: building a cleaner, more electrified economy requires more than changing how we generate energy. It may require changing the materials civilization is built on.

For anyone working in renewable energy, grid infrastructure, AI infrastructure, electrification, climate tech, advanced materials, deep tech, or industrial innovation, this episode offers a very different lens on what could determine the speed of the energy transition.

Links:
Bryan Hassin on LinkedIn
DexMat's Website
Info on Galvorn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, sits down with Gary Fischer, Executive Director of the Project Production Institute and a longtime capital projects leader who spent more than 40 years at Chevron.

Gary brings a rare perspective shaped by work across engineering, construction, operations, benchmarking, major project leadership, and enterprise project-system design. After helping architect Chevron’s project management system, he came to a difficult conclusion: even sophisticated project frameworks can produce disappointing results when they ignore how work actually flows through a production system.

The conversation centers on one critical idea: capital projects are not products an owner can simply buy. They are production systems that must be actively designed, led, and integrated.

Wes and Gary explore the difference between owners who behave like buyers and owners who behave like builders, along with the responsibilities that cannot be outsourced. These include defining the business outcome, setting requirements, managing stakeholders, making timely decisions, shaping the contracting strategy, and retaining accountability for the final result.

They also examine why lump-sum EPC contracts do not eliminate owner risk, how traditional metrics can reward excessive work in process, and why adding more people to a delayed project can sometimes make performance worse.

Gary shares lessons from major LNG, refinery, offshore, and supply chain environments, including how production control improved collaboration, reduced manpower, accelerated delivery, and helped teams complete more work with fewer resources.

The discussion also applies directly to renewable energy, battery storage, hydrogen, transmission, data centers, and other rapidly scaling infrastructure sectors. As companies deploy capital into new technologies and unfamiliar project environments, owner capability may become one of the most important competitive advantages.

In this episode:

• Why project failure is often misdiagnosed
• What separates a capable owner from a passive buyer
• Why contractors cannot own the business outcome
• How contracts can obscure risk without truly transferring it
• Why production science changes project decision-making
• How excessive work in process delays completion
• Why supply chains should be managed as connected production systems
• How rigid stage gates can encourage the wrong behavior
• What leaders should evaluate before approving major capital
• The first steps organizations can take to strengthen owner capability

This episode is essential listening for CEOs, project sponsors, investors, developers, EPC leaders, and anyone responsible for delivering complex energy and infrastructure projects.

Gary Fischer is Executive Director of the Project Production Institute and previously held senior project leadership roles at Chevron, including responsibility for Chevron’s project management system and capital project capability.

Links:
Project Production Institute Website & Resources
Gary Fischer on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

After years of relatively flat electricity demand, the country is now facing sustained growth driven by data centers, industrial expansion, electrification, reshoring, aging infrastructure, and rising resilience needs. The challenge is no longer just how quickly the U.S. can decarbonize. It is how quickly the country can build enough power while protecting reliability, affordability, and long-term emissions progress.

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, welcomes back Lisa Jacobson, President of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, to unpack the findings of the 2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook.

Lisa explains why this moment is different from previous periods of load growth, how urgency could help break years of infrastructure inertia, and why no single technology can meet the challenge alone. She makes the case for a broad portfolio that includes renewable energy, storage, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency, demand flexibility, sustainable transportation, and smarter use of existing grid assets.

The conversation also examines the growing impact of large electricity users. Data centers are an important part of the demand story, but the episode goes far beyond AI. Wes and Lisa explore what rising load means for utilities, regulators, communities, manufacturers, households, and businesses across the country.

A central question runs throughout the episode: Who pays for the infrastructure required to power America’s next era?

Lisa discusses the need to protect households and small businesses from unfair cost allocation, the role large customers can play in funding grid upgrades or bringing new power resources, and how regulators can evaluate projects based on local capacity, flexibility, community benefit, and long-term risk.

The episode also covers the technologies being deployed now. Solar and battery storage continue to lead new capacity additions because they can often move quickly and compete economically. At the same time, firm resources, existing nuclear assets, natural gas, long-duration storage, efficiency, virtual power plants, microgrids, and demand response all have distinct roles to play.

Wes and Lisa also examine:

• Why energy efficiency should be treated as infrastructure
• How smart meters and flexible demand can reduce grid strain
• What utilities and regulators should ask before approving major new loads
• Why storage is becoming more important to grid operations
• How corporate clean energy procurement is reshaping the market
• What policy uncertainty means for real projects and investment decisions
• Which technologies emerged stronger from recent tax and policy changes
• Why speed, cost, reliability, and sustainability must be solved together

Lisa closes with a practical message for governors, regulators, and policymakers: align economic development with reliable, affordable, and clean energy, then give the private sector the market signals needed to build.

This episode is a clear-eyed look at the next chapter of the U.S. power system and what it will take to meet rising demand without losing sight of consumers, communities, or climate goals.

Links:
2026 Sustainable Energy in America Factbook
Lisa Jacobson on LinkedIn
BCSE's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, speaks with Kellie Macpherson, COO of Compliance + Security at Radian Generation and a board member at SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association).

Kellie brings deep experience across NERC compliance, cybersecurity, commissioning, audits, control centers, and renewable asset operations. Her perspective is shaped by a career spent bridging the gap between traditional grid operations and the fast-moving renewable energy sector.

The conversation explores why compliance is not simply paperwork, how reliability affects real communities, and why the industry’s long-term credibility depends on operating assets as well as it builds them.

Wes and Kellie also break down the significance of NERC Category 2 registration for inverter-based resources. They discuss which solar, wind, storage, and hybrid assets may now fall under increased oversight, why registration alone is not the same as being audit-ready, and what owner-operators should prioritize if they are behind.

Cybersecurity is another central theme. Modern renewable plants rely heavily on remote access, third-party vendors, software, connected devices, and operational technology. That creates efficiency, but also expands the attack surface. Kellie explains why commissioning is one of the most vulnerable stages of a project and why access management, patching, physical security, and documented controls need to be built in before commercial operation.

The episode also examines the leadership side of compliance. Mature programs require executive attention, clear accountability, employee training, operational evidence, and a company culture that understands the financial, reputational, and reliability risks of getting it wrong.

In this episode:

• Why grid reliability became personal for Kellie early in life
• How renewable energy became central to bulk power system reliability
• What NERC Category 2 means for solar, wind, storage, and hybrid assets
• The difference between registration and true audit readiness
• Why cybersecurity should be treated as an operational priority now
• The most common security risks during commissioning
• Warning signs that a project may face future compliance problems
• Why inverter settings, access controls, patching, and evidence matter
• How executives and boards should think about compliance risk
• What trusted renewable operators will do differently over the next three years

As electricity demand grows and renewable assets become more essential to the grid, the companies that earn long-term trust will be the ones that combine speed with discipline, growth with resilience, and innovation with operational accountability.

Links:
Kellie Macpherson on LinkedIn
Radian Generation's Website
Kellie's Power Play Newsletter

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, sits down with Aaron Nichols, Marketing and Business Development Specialist at Exact Solar and host of This Week in Solar, to explore why clarity, trust, and human communication have become competitive advantages in renewable energy.

Aaron’s path into solar was anything but traditional. Before entering the industry, he worked as a teacher, traveled internationally, trained as a solar installer, and built experience in copywriting and marketing. That background shaped his ability to translate complex topics into language customers, employees, and business leaders can actually understand.

The conversation examines why renewable energy companies often narrow their talent pools by hiring for the same backgrounds repeatedly. Aaron explains why small businesses need adaptable problem-solvers, how nontraditional candidates can demonstrate value through consulting, and why creativity and pattern recognition are difficult to identify through a conventional hiring process.

Wes and Aaron also unpack the widening gap between corporate communication and human communication. They discuss why jargon-heavy messaging weakens trust, how clear website copy can improve visibility in AI search, and why companies must explain what they do, how they do it, who they help, and why it matters.

The episode also explores the right and wrong ways to use artificial intelligence. AI can help simplify internal communication, organize workflows, identify automation opportunities, and generate new creative ideas. But without clear thinking, strong processes, and thoughtful editing, it only produces more noise.

Additional topics include:

• Why stories earn attention before facts close the deal
•  How customer case studies build long-term credibility
•  Why automation should begin with process mapping
•  What solar companies misunderstand about payback periods
•  How authentic short-form video can outperform polished advertising
•  Why simple, consistent communication is difficult to copy
•  How expertise and a trusted public voice can strengthen a company’s brand

This episode is packed with practical insight for solar marketers, founders, sales leaders, recruiters, job seekers, and anyone working to make clean energy easier to understand.

Links:
Aaron Nichols on LinkedIn
This Week in Solar
Exact Solar's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

AI is the loudest accelerant right now, and for good reason. Data centers need massive computing power, cooling systems, backup power, transformers, substations, and high-reliability grid connections. But the bigger story is broader: the energy transition is no longer just about generating cleaner electricity. It is about delivering enough reliable power, fast enough, in the places where demand is actually showing up.

That is why nuclear power, SMRs, gas, storage, renewables, transmission, transformers, and interconnection are currently front-page issues.

But there is a harder question behind the hype: can we actually build the infrastructure fast enough, safely enough, and predictably enough to meet the moment?

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search sits down with Todd Zabelle, author of Built to Fail: Why Construction Projects Take So Long, Cost Too Much, and How to Fix It. Todd brings more than 35 years of experience in complex capital project delivery and is the Founder and CEO of Strategic Project Solutions, Founder of the Project Production Institute, Founder and CEO of Pacific Contracting, and a founding equity partner of the Lean Construction Institute.

Todd’s perspective is clear: many major projects do not fail because the technology is impossible. They fail because the management system is wrong.

That matters now because AI, data centers, nuclear power, and SMRs are all converging around the same challenge: the physical world does not move at software speed.

Wes and Todd unpack why traditional project management tools often create false confidence, why schedules can become disconnected from actual production, and why measuring progress by money spent can hide problems until it is too late. Todd explains why critical infrastructure needs to be managed as a production system, not just an administrative exercise.

The conversation then turns to nuclear power for AI. Todd shares what he heard at Datacloud Global Congress, where nuclear for AI was a major topic, and explains the cultural gap between fast-moving data center developers and the more conservative, safety-driven nuclear industry.

They explore the real-world barriers standing between AI’s energy demand and nuclear deployment, including siting, permitting, grid connection, fuel supply, specialized labor, nuclear-grade quality standards, and the mismatch between data center load profiles and steady baseload nuclear generation.

The episode also takes a sober look at SMRs. Todd sees real value in smaller batch deployment, especially as data centers grow over time, but warns that SMRs are not plug and play. Even smaller reactors require serious infrastructure, containment, supply chains, fuel strategy, skilled operators, and disciplined execution.

This is not a conversation about whether nuclear matters. It clearly does. It is a conversation about what it will actually take to deliver nuclear-grade infrastructure in the AI era.

In this episode, Wes and Todd cover:

• Why U.S. power demand is rising after years of relative stagnation
• How AI, data centers, electrification, manufacturing, and reliability needs are reshaping the grid
• Why major capital projects often fail long before the public sees the delay or cost overrun
• How traditional scheduling, earned value, and percentage completion accounting can create false confidence
• Why project delivery should focus on production systems, not just administration
• What data center developers may be underestimating about nuclear power
• Why SMRs solve some problems but leave many execution challenges intact
• The fuel supply, workforce, and quality-control bottlenecks behind nuclear scaling
• Why nuclear-grade welding, rebar, and construction tolerances demand a different level of skill
• What capable owners must do differently on complex infrastructure projects
• Where AI, digital twins, sensors, and automation can actually improve project delivery
• Why the energy transition depends on execution discipline as much as technology innovation

If you are working in renewable energy, nuclear power, data center development, infrastructure, construction, utilities, project delivery, or AI energy strategy, this episode is a grounded look at the gap between ambition and execution.

The future of AI will require massive amounts of power. The future of clean energy will require massive amounts of infrastructure. And as Todd makes clear, the winners will be the companies and leaders who understand how to actually build.

Links:
Todd Zabelle on LinkedIn
Project Production Institute's Website
Strategic Project Solutions Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Otovo began as a European rooftop solar marketplace, but under John’s leadership, the company is being reshaped into an AI-enabled energy service platform for homes and businesses across Europe and the United States. The new model focuses on what happens after solar panels, batteries, generators, EV chargers, and other behind-the-meter assets are installed. Who monitors them? Who fixes them? Who answers the phone when something goes wrong?

John Berger brings a rare operator’s perspective. Before Otovo, he founded and led Sunnova for more than 12 years, helping build one of the most recognized residential energy companies in the United States. Today, he is applying those lessons to a different problem: creating the service layer that distributed energy needs in order to scale reliably. 

The conversation explores why installation and service are fundamentally different businesses. Berger explains why installation is a construction business measured in weeks and months, while service is a logistics business measured in hours and days. That distinction matters as more homeowners and businesses are left with orphaned solar systems, unreliable support, and unclear warranty paths.

Wes and John also dive into Otovo’s acquisition-led growth strategy, including the company’s expansion into the United States, its growing service footprint, and the importance of building density and scale in field operations. They discuss how Otovo is using its proprietary AI platform, Endurance, to reduce software costs, automate workflows, support dispatch, improve response times, and change the economics of energy service. 

This episode also looks ahead to the grid. As solar, storage, EV chargers, generators, and load management become more common behind the meter, reliability becomes essential not only for customers but also for virtual power plants and grid participation. Berger makes the case that service is not a side issue. It may be the missing precondition for distributed energy to become real infrastructure.

Topics covered include:

• The shift from solar installation to long-term energy service
• Why behind-the-meter assets need a dedicated service layer
• The difference between construction businesses and logistics businesses
• How orphaned solar customers became a major industry problem
• Otovo’s reinvention from European marketplace to AI-native service company
• How Endurance is changing the cost structure of field service
• Why AI matters only if it improves speed, cost, reliability, and customer experience
• The role of batteries, generators, EV chargers, and load managers in home energy
• What virtual power plants need before they can scale
• Why the future of residential energy may look more like Amazon Prime than traditional utility service

This is a timely, candid conversation about where the energy transition gets real. More solar and batteries matter, but the next phase depends on whether those systems actually work, whether customers trust them, and whether someone is accountable for keeping them online.

Links:
John Berger on LinkedIn
Otovo's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Liam Ryan, CEO of Streetleaf, a Tampa-based company building off-grid, solar-powered streetlighting systems with integrated batteries, controls, remote monitoring, and a managed service model designed to remove the friction of traditional grid-tied lighting. 

Liam’s path into clean infrastructure was anything but conventional. After studying economics at Cornell and working in wildlife conservation in Mozambique, he returned to Tampa during the pandemic and began exploring a streetlighting challenge tied to land development in Florida. What started as a practical problem has grown into a national infrastructure story, with Streetleaf now working across builders, developers, utilities, public spaces, and resilience-focused applications. 

The conversation goes far beyond solar panels on poles. Liam explains why the real competition is not just the grid, but the cost and complexity of trenching, conduit, utility coordination, delays, maintenance contracts, and long-term community fees. Streetleaf’s model is built around a simple but powerful equation: if the solar panel, battery, controls, and communications stack can cost less than connecting a streetlight to the grid, the cleaner option can become the practical default.

Wes and Liam also dig into storm resilience, one of Streetleaf’s strongest proof points. In hurricane-impacted communities, Streetleaf’s off-grid lights have continued operating when conventional grid-tied systems went dark, turning streetlights into visible anchors of safety and continuity during outages. Liam shares how events like Hurricane Ian, Helene, Milton, and wildfire recovery work in Hawaii shaped Streetleaf’s product, operations, and sense of purpose. 

This episode also explores what it takes to sell new infrastructure into conservative markets. Liam breaks down how Streetleaf reduces adoption risk for builders and utilities, why managed service matters, how national relationships with major homebuilders helped shift the company from early adoption to mainstream credibility, and why “smart infrastructure” only matters when it creates real value.

If you care about renewable energy, distributed infrastructure, resilient communities, land development, utility innovation, or the hidden systems shaping how we build, this episode will change the way you look at the streetlight outside your window.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why streetlights are a hidden infrastructure bottleneck
• How Streetleaf’s off-grid solar streetlights change project economics
• Why trenching, utility coordination, and delays create hidden costs
• How solar streetlighting supports hurricane and outage resilience
• What conservative buyers need before adopting new infrastructure
• Why managed service can accelerate clean technology adoption
• How Streetleaf is scaling through builders, developers, utilities, and municipalities
• What “smart streets” should really mean in practical terms
• Why the future of infrastructure may be cleaner, simpler, and more distributed

Links:
Liam Ryan on LinkedIn
Streetleaf's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search sits down with Drew Maggio, Technical Director at Highmark Building Efficiency, to explore how heat pumps, waste heat recovery, wastewater energy transfer, subway systems, data centers, thermal energy networks, and building electrification are reshaping the future of urban decarbonization.

Drew brings a rare blend of hands-on mechanical experience, engineering depth, and real-world building systems expertise. At Highmark, he works across emerging HVAC and plumbing technologies, regulatory compliance, industry partnerships, and the practical challenge of helping advanced building efficiency solutions make it from concept to installed, operating assets.

This conversation starts with the fundamentals: why heat pumps are not simply electric boilers, why coefficient of performance matters, and why building electrification requires more than swapping fossil fuel equipment for electric equipment. Drew explains how the best projects depend on insulation, sizing, design assumptions, controls, contractor familiarity, and a clear understanding of how buildings actually operate.

From there, the episode expands into a bigger idea: cities are full of hidden thermal energy. Wastewater flowing through sewer systems, heat trapped in subway tunnels, data centers rejecting excess heat, and buildings cooling year-round can all become part of a smarter thermal energy ecosystem.

Wes and Drew also discuss wastewater energy transfer, why adoption has been slower in New York than in some other cities, how thermal energy networks could allow buildings to share heat like the electric grid shares power, and why Local Law 97 is pushing building owners to rethink long-term compliance and operating costs.

This episode is especially relevant for professionals in renewable energy, HVAC, building efficiency, real estate, engineering, sustainability, infrastructure, and energy policy. It is a practical, systems-level look at how cities can decarbonize not only by generating more clean power, but by recovering, moving, storing, and sharing the energy already inside them.

Topics include:

• Heat pumps and building electrification
• Waste heat recovery from sewers, subways, and data centers
• Wastewater energy transfer and thermal energy networks
• NYC Local Law 97 and compliance-driven retrofits
• Thermal storage and flexible building loads
• Building envelope performance and project sizing
• The future of urban decarbonization

Links
Drew Maggio on LinkedIn
HIGHMARK's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search, sits down with Will to explore why fusion is moving from a distant scientific promise into a practical race around execution, manufacturing, modularity, and real-world clean energy infrastructure.

Will brings a rare perspective to the fusion conversation. Before co-founding Pacific Fusion, he served as an ARPA-E Fellow, spent more than seven years at X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory, and helped create the original vision and team behind Mineral. Today, he is helping lead Pacific Fusion’s effort to commercialize pulsed magnetic inertial fusion, a pathway designed around modular pulser systems, compact chambers, and simplified fusion targets. 

The conversation breaks down fusion in plain English, including why it has the potential to deliver abundant, clean, firm power with low land and material requirements. Will explains how Pacific Fusion’s approach differs from laser-driven inertial fusion and magnetic confinement systems, and why recent breakthroughs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and in pulsed-power hardware helped make 2023 the right moment to build a company around this pathway. 

A major theme throughout the episode is that fusion progress cannot be judged by vague headlines alone. Will walks through a more useful scorecard, from scientific proof of concept to scientific gain, net facility gain, power gain, and ultimately affordable power. Pacific Fusion’s stated near-term objective is net facility gain by 2030, meaning more fusion energy out than the total stored energy input to the machine. 

Wes and Will also dig into the industrial reality behind commercial fusion: why modularity matters, why targets can make or break the economics, what it takes to move from one successful fusion shot to repeatable infrastructure, and how a future fusion plant could fit into the grid as clean firm power alongside solar, wind, storage, geothermal, hydro, and nuclear fission.

This episode is a grounded look at one of the most ambitious frontiers in energy, without the hype. Fusion may still face major challenges in repetition, durability, supply chains, fuel, workforce, and cost. But the opportunity is enormous: clean, reliable, high-density energy that could reshape what is possible for the grid, industry, and global abundance.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why fusion is entering a new chapter focused on execution
• How Pacific Fusion’s pulsed magnetic inertial fusion approach works
• What the 2022 NIF and Sandia breakthroughs changed
• Why modular pulser systems could matter for cost and scale
• The difference between ignition, scientific gain, net facility gain, and power gain
• Why Pacific Fusion is targeting net facility gain by 2030
• How fusion could support clean firm power and real grid reliability
• Why fusion will need engineers, technicians, tradespeople, and builders, not just PhDs
• What a future of abundant clean energy could unlock

Links:
Will Regan on LinkedIn
Pacific Fusion's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Erica Ocampo, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Metals Company, for a candid and thought-provoking conversation about deep-sea polymetallic nodules, critical mineral supply chains, recycling limits, ocean ecosystems, and the real-world trade-offs behind clean energy growth.

Erica brings a rare perspective to this debate. Originally from Colombia, she began her academic journey in music before becoming a chemical engineer and sustainability leader. Her career has spanned Dow, Sims Limited, and now The Metals Company, giving her deep experience across chemicals, plastics, packaging, metals recycling, ESG reporting, circular economy strategy, and emerging critical mineral supply. 

At The Metals Company, Erica works at the center of one of the most complex and controversial questions in the energy transition: whether polymetallic nodules found on the deep ocean floor can provide nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese with a lower overall impact than some land-based mining pathways. These metals are essential for batteries, manufacturing, infrastructure, electrification, and energy security. 

This episode does not offer easy answers. Instead, Erica and Wes explore the uncomfortable realities that often get left out of clean energy conversations. Recycling is essential, but it cannot meet near-term demand alone. Mineral supply chains are not just environmental systems, they are geopolitical systems. Land-based mining can carry serious social and ecological costs. Deep-sea mineral collection raises legitimate questions about ocean ecosystems, governance, monitoring, and trust. 

The conversation also dives into The Metals Company’s work in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, the nature of polymetallic nodules, the engineering behind nodule collection, the environmental studies surrounding the NORI-D area, and why Erica believes sustainability leaders must move beyond slogans and engage with evidence, risk, and trade-offs. 

Listeners will hear Erica’s perspective on why discomfort can be productive, why pragmatic sustainability is not the same as compromise, and why building trust may be just as important as building technology. She also shares what it means to build ESG systems before a new industry scales, how to think about guardrails from day one, and why the future of clean energy depends on asking better questions about materials, ecosystems, communities, and accountability.

Topics covered include:

• Critical minerals and the physical reality of the energy transition
• Deep-sea polymetallic nodules and The Metals Company’s approach
• Nickel, cobalt, copper, and manganese supply challenges
• Why recycling matters but cannot solve the whole problem
• China’s role in critical mineral processing and geopolitics
• Environmental trade-offs between land-based mining and ocean nodule collection
• Social impacts of mineral extraction and Indigenous community concerns
• Ocean ecosystem uncertainty, plume impacts, and monitoring
• ESG strategy, governance, transparency, and stakeholder trust
• Pragmatism, sustainability leadership, and the future of clean energy minerals

This is a must-listen episode for renewable energy leaders, sustainability professionals, battery and EV stakeholders, mining and metals executives, policymakers, investors, and anyone who wants a more honest understanding of what it really takes to build the clean energy economy.

Links:
Erica Ocampo on LinkedIn
The Metals Company Website
The Metals Company Videos

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Frank Tybor, Chief Technology Officer at Infravision, to unpack one of the biggest bottlenecks in the energy transition: how we actually build the grid fast enough to support renewable energy, AI data centers, electrification, industrial growth, and rising power demand.

Frank brings a rare systems engineering perspective to the conversation. His background spans SpaceX, Energy Vault, ThinkOrbital, and now Infravision, where he is helping scale drone-enabled robotics for transmission construction. At Infravision, the mission is not simply to replace helicopters with drones. It is to rethink the full construction workflow, combining heavy-lift drones, intelligent ground equipment, specialty line hardware, software, trained crews, and repeatable field systems.

Wes and Frank explore why traditional transmission construction is so difficult to scale, especially when projects depend on highly specialized helicopter operations, skilled labor, complex terrain, environmental constraints, and tight outage windows. They also dig into why the old timeline for grid buildout no longer works in a world where solar farms, data centers, and new loads can come online far faster than transmission infrastructure.

Frank breaks down how Infravision’s drone-enabled system supports pilot line stringing, tension stringing, emergency response, and challenging construction environments where helicopters may be expensive, constrained, risky, or unavailable. The conversation also covers what utilities actually care about when adopting new technology: safety, reliability, cost, schedule certainty, and confidence that the system works repeatedly in real field conditions.

Key themes include:

• Grid expansion as a critical constraint on clean energy deployment
• Why transmission construction has lagged behind other areas of energy innovation
• How drone-enabled robotics can reduce risk and improve construction scalability
• The role of intelligent ground equipment, winches, line hardware, and control systems
• What the energy transition, AI growth, and industrial load growth mean for grid infrastructure
• Why the next wave of grid innovation may come from better construction systems, not just better generation

This episode is a must-listen for utility leaders, renewable energy developers, grid infrastructure professionals, investors, policymakers, and anyone interested in the physical realities behind the energy transition.

Links:
Frank Tybor on LinkedIn
Infravision's Website
Infravision Videos

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Community solar is often described as a simple promise: sign up, receive credits, save money, and support clean energy. But behind that promise is a complex operating system that determines whether community solar actually works for customers, developers, utilities, and the communities it is meant to serve.

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Sandhya Murali, Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at Perch Energy, to unpack the hidden infrastructure behind one of the most important segments of the clean energy transition.

Sandhya brings a rare combination of capital markets discipline, founder operating experience, and deep commitment to clean energy access. Before joining Perch, she co-founded Solstice, a mission-driven community solar company focused on expanding access for renters, low-to-moderate income households, and others historically left out of rooftop solar. Her earlier career in investment banking at Barclays, along with her MBA from MIT Sloan, gives her a unique lens on how mission, finance, and market design intersect in renewable energy. 

This conversation moves beyond the usual case for community solar and into the work most people never see: subscriber acquisition, billing, crediting, eligibility verification, compliance, customer trust, and retention. Sandhya explains why community solar is not only about generating clean power. It is also about making sure the customer experience is reliable, understandable, and financially meaningful.

A major theme throughout the episode is trust. Many customers still wonder whether community solar is real, whether there is a catch, and whether the savings will actually appear on their utility bill. Sandhya breaks down how clear enrollment, accurate billing, transparent savings, and responsive customer support all shape whether the model can scale.

The episode also explores low-to-moderate income access and why Sandhya believes inclusion cannot be treated as a side initiative. She makes the case that community solar should be designed for the households most burdened by energy costs, while also remaining financeable for developers and investors. That means better program design, simplified enrollment, utility consolidated billing, and practical solutions that reduce friction without increasing risk.

Wes and Sandhya also discuss Perch Energy’s role as a scaled community solar subscriber management platform. After Perch’s acquisition of Solstice, the company manages more than 3 GW across over 1,000 community solar projects in 16 states, serving more than 430,000 residential customer equivalents. 

Key topics covered include:

•  Why the hardest part of community solar is often invisible 
•  How subscriber management functions like critical infrastructure 
•  Why trust is the foundation of customer adoption and retention 
•  The importance of utility consolidated billing 
•  How self-attestation could simplify low-income enrollment 
•  Why community solar markets need stable policy and predictable rules 
•  How scale helps, and where local market complexity remains 
•  What regulators and utilities can do to improve program design 
•  Why community solar matters in a future defined by load growth, affordability, and distributed energy 

For clean energy leaders, developers, policymakers, investors, and anyone working to make the energy transition more inclusive, this episode offers a practical and deeply human look at what it takes to turn clean energy access into reality.

Links:
Sandhya Murali on LinkedIn
Perch Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Eugene Beh, Founder and CEO of Quino Energy, to explore one of the most important questions in the energy transition: how do we store renewable power affordably, safely, and for long durations?

Quino Energy is developing water-based organic flow batteries that store electricity in quinone molecules, a fundamentally different approach from lithium-ion batteries and traditional vanadium flow batteries. Instead of relying on expensive mined metals or flammable battery cells, Quino is focused on organic electrolytes that can potentially lower costs, improve safety, and scale through existing flow battery infrastructure.

Eugene breaks down the basics of flow batteries in simple terms, explaining how liquid electrolytes act like fuel tanks and how flow battery stacks function more like an engine. He also explains why Quino’s quinone-based electrolyte can work with existing vanadium flow battery hardware with minimal changes, creating a faster path to deployment.

The conversation goes deep into the real challenges of commercialization: manufacturing, degradation, bankability, safety, and proving performance in the field. Eugene shares how Quino’s continuous, zero-waste production process converts widely available dyestuff materials into battery-ready electrolyte without downstream purification. He also discusses why non-flammable storage matters for hospitals, communities, data centers, islands, military bases, and other critical infrastructure.

Listeners will also hear about Quino’s field demonstration plans, including a project serving a medical center in Lancaster, California, and the company’s strategy to repurpose existing tank storage infrastructure for grid-scale energy storage.

This episode is a clear, practical look at how chemistry, infrastructure, and manufacturing come together to solve one of the grid’s biggest bottlenecks.

Topics covered include:

• Why long-duration energy storage is becoming essential
• How flow batteries differ from lithium-ion batteries
• Why quinone-based electrolytes could reduce flow battery costs
• The safety and permitting advantages of non-flammable storage
• How existing fuel tank infrastructure could become grid storage
• Why data centers and critical facilities are strong early markets
• What it takes to move battery chemistry from the lab to the field
• How Quino Energy is approaching commercialization through partnerships

If you care about renewable energy, grid reliability, long-duration storage, battery innovation, or the future of clean infrastructure, this episode is a must-listen.

Links:
Eugene Beh on LinkedIn
Quino Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Vinnie returns to the show with a major update on Haven Energy’s evolution. What began as a company helping homeowners access batteries has grown into a broader mission: deploying, owning, and operating distributed energy assets that can provide real, dispatchable capacity for utilities while giving homeowners backup power, lower costs, and a simpler energy experience. 

The conversation explores why the current grid challenge is different from past demand cycles. Vinnie explains how electrification is pushing load growth into millions of homes and neighborhoods, not just large data centers. That creates a localized infrastructure challenge where transformers, substations, and transmission systems are under increasing pressure. Instead of relying only on new centralized generation, Haven is focused on deploying distributed batteries where capacity is needed most. 

Wes and Vinnie also break down Haven’s business model shift from selling batteries to owning and operating them through a low-cost subscription model. By bringing financing, sales, installation, and optimization closer together, Haven is working to reduce soft costs, simplify the customer experience, and make home batteries accessible to a much broader market. 

Key topics covered include:

• Grid capacity constraints and why demand growth is different this time
• How AI, transportation, and home electrification are reshaping electricity needs
• Why utilities are moving from virtual power plant pilots to full-scale deployment
• The role of residential batteries as localized grid infrastructure
• Haven Energy’s shift toward battery subscriptions starting around $49 per month
• Why homeowners want simplicity, backup power, lower bills, and less complexity
• How distributed power plants could become as important as centralized assets
• The role of AI in reducing permitting, design, installation, and interconnection friction
• Why Vinnie believes every home could eventually have a battery

This episode is a clear look at the future of home batteries, distributed power plants, virtual power plants, grid reliability, and the next era of residential energy. If you care about how the grid evolves, how utilities meet new demand, or how homeowners become part of the energy system without becoming energy managers, this conversation is essential listening.

Links: 

Vinnie Campo on LinkedIn

Haven Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Sachu Constantine, Executive Director of Vote Solar, to explore the policy, power structures, and market rules shaping America’s clean energy future.

Sachu brings more than three decades of experience across international development, utility regulation, solar policy, and clean energy advocacy. His journey spans Peace Corps service in Ghana, regulatory work at the California Public Utilities Commission, private sector experience with SunPower, and national leadership at Vote Solar. 

The conversation centers on a critical tension: solar and storage are ready, but the system around them often is not. Sachu explains why better technology does not always win on its own, especially in an energy system shaped by monopoly utilities, legacy incentives, interconnection bottlenecks, rate design fights, and regulatory processes many communities never get a meaningful chance to influence.

Wes and Sachu unpack how utilities actually make money, why public utility commissions matter, and how policies around net metering, resource adequacy, demand charges, interconnection queues, virtual power plants, and distributed solar can either accelerate or slow the transition.

They also dig into one of the episode’s most important themes: equity is not a side issue. Communities facing high energy burdens, poor service quality, and limited clean energy access should not be last in line for the benefits of solar. They should help shape the system from the beginning.

Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of where clean energy decisions really get made, why public participation matters, and what it takes to build a future where solar is affordable and accessible to all.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why clean energy is inevitable only if we actively shape the rules
• How utility incentives influence the pace of solar adoption
• Why public utility commissions are critical to the clean energy transition
• The role of interconnection queues in slowing renewable deployment
• How distributed solar, batteries, and virtual power plants can support grid reliability
• Why affordability is one of the defining energy issues of the moment
• How energy equity shows up in real communities, bills, and service quality
• What policy changes could accelerate solar adoption in the next five years
• Why coalition building and community trust are essential to lasting progress
• How everyday people can use their voice to influence energy decisions

The energy transition is not just about technology. It is about who has power, who gets access, who pays, who benefits, and who shows up when the rules are being written.

Guest: Sachu Constantine, Executive Director, Vote Solar
Host: Wes Ashworth, President of Lee Group Search
Episode Theme: Solar policy, energy equity, utility regulation, grid modernization, clean energy advocacy, and the future of distributed energy

Links: 

Sachu Constantine on LinkedIn

Vote Solar's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode, Wes Ashworth sits down with Howard Wenger, President of Nextpower, a company delivering a utility-scale solar integrated platform designed to improve performance, reliability, and speed at scale.

With more than four decades in solar, Howard brings a rare perspective. He has helped build and scale companies from the earliest days of the industry to today’s global deployments exceeding hundreds of gigawatts. At Nextpower, he is leading the transition from fragmented system design to a fully integrated approach that combines hardware, software, and data into a unified platform.

This conversation explores how solar power plants are being redefined in response to rising electricity demand, increasing system complexity, and the need for long-term performance certainty.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

• The shift from individual components to utility-scale solar integrated platforms and why it matters
• How disaggregation helped scale the industry and why integration is now the next phase
• Where projects break down today when systems are not designed holistically
• The role of software, AI, and automation in improving plant performance and decision-making
• How Nextpower is investing in engineering, robotics, and system design to optimize outcomes
• Why resilience is now directly tied to financing, insurance, and long-term asset performance
• The impact of data center demand and electrification on the pace of solar deployment
• What could constrain growth over the next several years, including grid and policy dynamics
• How utility-scale solar paired with storage is shaping the future generation mix

Howard also reflects on key moments that signaled solar’s ability to scale, including the development of one of the world’s first 10 megawatt solar parks, and how the industry has evolved from a niche market to a global energy backbone.

A central theme throughout the episode is accountability. When systems are fragmented, responsibility is distributed and performance can suffer. An integrated platform approach brings design, execution, and operations into closer alignment, improving reliability and reducing risk over the life of the asset.

Looking ahead, the conversation outlines what a fully integrated solar power plant could become by 2030. Systems that are engineered to work together from the start, supported by software and automation, and capable of delivering consistent, insurable performance over decades.

As solar continues to scale as one of the fastest and most cost-effective sources of new power, this episode provides a clear view into how the industry is evolving and what it will take to meet the next wave of demand.

Links: 

Howard Wenger on LinkedIn

Nextpower's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In Episode 99, Wes Ashworth sits down with Amrit Robbins, CEO and Co-Founder of Axiom Cloud, to unpack a problem hiding in plain sight across grocery stores, warehouses, and the global cold chain. 

The Hidden Reality

Refrigerant leaks are a massive issue:

• 3 to 4 percent of global emissions come from refrigerants
• One pound leaked can equal thousands of pounds of CO2
• A single grocery store can leak hundreds of pounds per year

This is bigger than most people think and rarely discussed.

Why It’s Been Ignored

It’s not visible.

It’s not exciting.

And most operators are stuck reacting to constant system failures with little data or insight.

The Axiom Cloud Approach

Axiom Cloud turns existing refrigeration data into clear, prioritized action.

No new hardware. No site visits. Fast deployment.

What that unlocks:

• Early leak detection
• Predictive maintenance
• Lower energy use
• Fewer emergency calls

Most importantly, teams know exactly what to fix first.

Why It Matters

This goes far beyond sustainability.

Refrigeration drives:

• Over half of energy use in many stores
• The majority of maintenance costs
• Compliance risk
• Lost revenue when systems fail

Fixing it improves both performance and profitability.

AI That Actually Works

Axiom has been applying AI to real systems long before the hype.

Their models detect patterns humans simply cannot see.

But the real value comes from turning insight into action.

That’s where most companies fall short.

Key Takeaways

• The biggest opportunities in energy are often invisible
• Refrigerant leaks are one of the fastest problems to solve
• AI delivers value when paired with execution
• The cold chain is on the verge of major change

This episode will change how you think about the energy transition.

Some of the biggest wins are already there.

They’re just waiting to be seen.

Links:

Amrit Robbins on LinkedIn

Axiom Cloud's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Aaron Gabelnick, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Technology Officer at ARRAY Technologies. With a career spanning chemicals, refining, consulting, and large-scale capital projects, Aaron brings a systems-level perspective that is often missing in today’s energy conversation.

This is not a discussion about solar theory. It is about execution, risk, and building infrastructure that holds up under real conditions.

Aaron shares how his background in industrial systems shaped his approach to renewable energy, and why the biggest challenge in solar today is not innovation, but discipline.

What You’ll Learn

• Why solar trackers are central to project performance, not a secondary component
• How tracker design can increase energy production by up to 25 percent depending on conditions
• The real meaning of LCOE and why upfront cost alone is a flawed decision metric
• How extreme weather like wind and hail is now shaping core engineering decisions
• The difference between active and passive wind stow systems and why it matters for reliability
• How hail risk is driving new technology, including predictive response systems and high-angle stow strategies
• Why simplicity in design leads to better long-term performance and lower maintenance risk
• The hidden complexity behind “simple” solar projects, from subsoil to system integration

Key Themes

Infrastructure Over Ideology
The energy transition is not a switch. It is a complex evolution of systems that must remain reliable while scaling rapidly.

Execution Is the Differentiator
Many failures in solar are not due to bad technology. They are the result of poor installation, weak alignment between engineering and construction, and lack of discipline at scale.

Design Decisions Compound Over Time
Small engineering choices can materially impact performance, risk, and cost over decades.

Weather Is Now a Core Design Driver
Severe weather is no longer a boundary condition. It is central to how modern solar systems are engineered and financed.

Why This Episode Matters

As solar becomes critical infrastructure, the industry is being forced to mature.

That means:

• Thinking in decades, not development cycles
• Prioritizing reliability alongside speed
• Integrating lessons from traditional energy and industrial sectors
• Designing systems that perform under stress, not just ideal conditions

Aaron brings a rare perspective that connects all of these dots.

If you are building, investing in, or operating energy systems, this episode offers a clear view of what it really takes to get it right.

Links: 

Aaron Gabelnick on LinkedIn 

ARRAY Technologies Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In Episode 97 of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jason Few, President and CEO of FuelCell Energy, for a timely conversation about AI, data centers, grid constraints, and the growing urgency around speed to power.

Jason explains why this moment is bigger than data centers alone. As electricity demand rises and infrastructure timelines stretch, the conversation is shifting from simply finding electrons to building the right power stack. That means rethinking how power is generated, where it is delivered, and what role distributed energy should play in the next era of industrial and digital growth.

The episode explores why power has become a gating factor for AI deployment, how data center developers are increasingly being forced to think in terms of bring your own power, and why modular, resilient, community-compatible solutions are gaining attention. Jason also shares how FuelCell Energy has worked to move beyond being seen as an interesting technology story and instead focus on solving real customer problems with speed, reliability, and commercial discipline.

Wes and Jason also discuss:

• Why grid interconnection timelines no longer match market urgency 
• How fuel cells fit into a broader and-not-or energy system 
• Why community acceptance, footprint, noise, and emissions matter more than many people realize 
• How leadership teams can identify a real market signal before consensus arrives 
• Why the future of energy infrastructure will be shaped by layered architectures, not one single solution 

This is a sharp and practical conversation for anyone following AI infrastructure, distributed energy, clean power, or the future of data center development.

Links: 

Jason Few on LinkedIn

FuelCell Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Freeman Hall, President of B2U Storage Solutions, to explore how second-life EV batteries are transforming from a perceived waste problem into a scalable infrastructure opportunity.

Freeman brings a rare combination of experience across renewable energy investing, utility-scale solar development, and now battery storage innovation. After helping scale over 100 MW of solar projects and working at the forefront of early solar adoption, he is once again operating ahead of the curve, this time in battery lifecycle management.

At B2U, Freeman and his team are pioneering a fundamentally different approach to energy storage. Instead of dismantling EV batteries, they deploy them in their original form, using proprietary controls and software to unlock additional years of value in stationary storage applications. This approach significantly reduces costs while maintaining performance, creating a new category of infrastructure that challenges traditional assumptions about battery end-of-life.

This conversation goes far beyond technology. It dives into the real drivers of scale: capital structure, risk perception, market design, and the long process of proving bankability in a new asset class.

You’ll hear how B2U:

•  Identified the economic opportunity behind second-life batteries early 
•  Built a proprietary system to avoid costly repurposing processes 
•  Proved reliability through years of real-world operating data 
•  Navigated skepticism around safety, performance, and longevity 
•  Structured a new investment model to unlock scalable growth 

Freeman also shares insights on the evolving energy landscape, including the growing demand for electricity driven by electrification and AI, the role of storage in stabilizing renewable-heavy grids, and why repurposing will become a critical link in the battery value chain.

As the industry grapples with supply chain constraints, policy shifts, and the need for more resilient infrastructure, this episode offers a clear look at how innovation actually reaches commercial scale.

If you want to understand where energy storage is heading and what it takes to build confidence in something entirely new, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Links: 

Freeman Hall on LinkedIn

B2U Storage Solutions' Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With a background as a U.S. Naval Officer and over $1 billion in infrastructure projects delivered, Salim brings operational discipline and strategic clarity to one of the most misunderstood sectors in energy.

This episode moves beyond the hype cycle and into execution.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Salim’s military background shaped his approach to risk, systems thinking, and decision-making in hydrogen
• Why infrastructure success depends on stakeholder alignment, permitting strategy, and long-term operational planning
• What most cleantech founders underestimate when navigating bureaucracy and building physical assets
• The reality of raising capital during market downturns and how to maintain conviction through uncertainty
• Lessons from navigating failed partnerships, shifting investor sentiment, and multi-year capital challenges
• Why resilience and team alignment are critical when building in emerging energy markets
•  The strategic pivot into data center backup power and why it unlocked new investor interest
• The difference between hydrogen hype and real market demand across heavy industry and energy systems
• Common misconceptions around hydrogen safety, cost, and scalability
• Why on-site hydrogen production can eliminate logistics costs and improve economic viability
• The role hydrogen already plays in industries like ammonia, refining, aerospace, and chemicals
• Where hydrogen has the greatest decarbonization potential, including steel, cement, and maritime
• Why hydrogen is not just a bridge technology but a long-term pillar of the energy system
• The importance of narrative, communication, and education in scaling clean energy solutions

This episode is ultimately about resilience, discipline, and clarity of mission. It is a candid look at what survives when markets shift, capital tightens, and only the most grounded operators continue building.

If you are working in clean energy, infrastructure, or climate tech, this conversation offers practical insight into how real progress gets made, especially when the path forward is not obvious.

Links: 

Salim Rahemtulla on LinkedIn

PowerTap's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Lennart Hinrichs, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Americas at TWAICE, a leading battery analytics platform helping operators improve the safety, performance, and profitability of battery energy storage systems.

Lennart has been part of TWAICE’s journey since the company’s early days, helping build the platform as the battery storage industry evolved from small pilot projects to gigawatt-scale portfolios. His work focuses on helping energy companies turn massive volumes of battery data into actionable insights that improve operations and prevent costly problems.

As battery storage scales across global energy markets, Lennart explains why many systems underperform once deployed. The challenge is rarely a single component failure. Instead, it is the complex interaction between thousands of battery cells, control systems, software, and operational processes.

In the conversation, Lennart breaks down why the industry often misunderstands battery storage. From the outside, a battery container looks simple. In reality, a single storage system can generate billions of data points every day and requires sophisticated analytics to identify problems early and maintain performance.

The discussion explores how small issues inside a battery system can quietly escalate. A handful of faulty cells or imbalances within a system can significantly reduce usable capacity, impact market participation, and lead to lost revenue if operators cannot quickly identify root causes.

Lennart also shares real-world examples of how analytics can transform battery operations. In one case, identifying a small number of defective cells restored millions of dollars in annual revenue for a storage project. In another, predictive insights helped operators move from reactive firefighting to proactive maintenance.

The episode also dives into broader industry challenges, including scaling battery portfolios, managing complex vendor relationships, navigating long-term service agreements, and dealing with the growing shortage of talent across the energy storage sector.

Looking ahead, Lennart discusses how rising electricity demand, the growth of AI-driven data centers, and the expansion of renewable generation will dramatically increase the need for energy storage.

For operators, investors, and developers, the message is clear: running batteries successfully requires more than installing hardware. It requires treating storage as long-term infrastructure and building the operational intelligence needed to manage it at scale.

If you want a deeper understanding of how battery storage actually works once projects move beyond pilot scale, this conversation offers a grounded look inside the systems powering the energy transition.

Links:

Lennart Hinrichs on LinkedIn

TWAICE's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Chris Williamson, Director of Business Development at Polaron Solar Energy, to explore how the energy transition is evolving from simple generation to intelligent, integrated systems.

Chris has spent decades working across the renewable energy landscape, from early off-grid solar installations to shaping national solar training standards and leading global energy projects. His career spans technical design, workforce education, international development, and commercial energy strategy. 

Today, he helps guide Polaron’s expansion as a vertically integrated energy company focused on solar, energy storage systems, EV charging, and advanced grid technologies.

This conversation dives deep into how renewables are maturing and why the next chapter of the energy transition will be defined by intelligence, flexibility, and system design rather than just generation capacity.

Chris explains why energy storage is becoming essential infrastructure, how artificial intelligence is transforming energy management, and why solar is evolving into what he calls modular power. 

The discussion also explores the real-world challenges of building renewable energy systems globally. Having worked across Canada, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Chris shares how energy access means very different things depending on the market, from reducing electricity costs in developed countries to enabling education, water access, and economic growth in developing regions. 

The episode also challenges conventional thinking around incentives and policy. Chris argues that the renewable industry has matured to the point where technology and economics can increasingly stand on their own, and that the next focus should be smarter grid design, decentralized energy systems, and resilient infrastructure.

Looking ahead, Chris sees enormous opportunity in the convergence of solar, batteries, artificial intelligence, EV charging, and decentralized power networks. Together, these technologies are transforming energy from a centralized commodity into a flexible, intelligent service delivered closer to where it is consumed.

For anyone working in clean energy, grid innovation, or energy infrastructure, this episode offers a clear look at how the industry is evolving and what it will take to design systems that actually work in the real world.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• How Chris transitioned from electrician to global clean energy leader
• The creation of Canada’s first national solar training standards
• Why solar companies are evolving into full energy companies
• The growing role of battery storage in modern energy systems
• How AI and machine learning are optimizing energy production and consumption
• The future of decentralized grids and modular power systems
• Why renewable incentives may become less necessary as the industry matures
• Emerging technologies that could reshape global electricity infrastructure

If you want to understand where renewable energy is headed next, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Links: 

Chris Williamson on LinkedIn

Polaron's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this powerful episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Doug Coward, Founder and Director of National Expansion and Partnerships at the Solar and Energy Loan Fund, known as SELF. As one of the first nonprofit green banks and Community Development Financial Institutions in the United States, SELF is helping ensure that energy efficiency, resilience, and solar power are accessible to working families and underserved communities.

Doug’s journey began in Florida public service, where he served 12 years as a county commissioner. A proposed coal plant in the Sunshine State became the catalyst for a bigger vision. Rather than waiting for top-down change, Doug focused on building a new financing model from the ground up.

Today, nearly half of Americans who apply for loans are denied. That financing gap affects everything from hurricane recovery to home efficiency upgrades. SELF addresses this challenge with a different underwriting approach based on ability to pay, not credit scores.

The impact is measurable and meaningful:

• $63 million deployed in clean energy and resilience loans
• Nearly 4,500 homes retrofitted
• 13,000+ people positively impacted
• 70 percent of borrowers from low and moderate income households
• Default rate under 2 percent

Doug shares powerful stories of homeowners rebuilding after hurricanes, seniors accessing affordable roof repairs, and global crowdfunding efforts that mobilized support in hours rather than weeks.

We also explore:

• How green banks function as implementation tools for local governments
• Why financial inclusion is essential to scaling clean energy adoption
• The role of contractor vetting and consumer protection in building trust
• The economic opportunity of domestic solar manufacturing
• SELF’s plug and play national expansion model now active in 17 states

This conversation highlights how thoughtful financing structures can strengthen communities, create local jobs, reduce energy burdens, and build long-term resilience.

If you care about practical climate solutions that work at the household level, this episode offers both inspiration and a proven model.

Learn more about SELF
Explore Kiva’s impact investing platform

Doug Coward on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Green Giants for more conversations with the leaders building the renewable energy economy from the ground up.

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

So why does so much potential stall before projects reach final investment decision (FID)?

In Episode 91 of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jay Khosla and Yiota Kokkinos of the Public Policy Forum to unpack what it actually takes to build large-scale energy, infrastructure, and critical mineral projects in Canada.

Drawing from decades of leadership inside Natural Resources Canada, the Privy Council Office, and global energy forums, Jay and Yiota bring rare, insider clarity to one pressing question:

How does Canada move from ambition to execution?

Their report, Build Big Things, outlines a practical, four-pillar framework to get major projects across the finish line:

• Coordinated financing that aligns public capital and private investment
•  Regulatory certainty with clear timelines and disciplined execution
•  Indigenous economic partnership built on ownership and trust
•  Enabling infrastructure planned as integrated systems, not afterthoughts

They explore why final investment decision is the real battleground for global capital, how fragmented financing slows progress, and why certainty is Canada’s greatest competitive advantage.

The conversation also tackles:

• Canada’s declining productivity and GDP per capita growth
•  The geopolitical urgency created by shifting U.S. trade dynamics
•  Why perception matters in global investment markets
•  How culture change inside public institutions can unlock outcomes
•  Why small modular reactors may be Canada’s defining test case

Canada exports over 90 percent of its energy. The world wants what Canada has. But capital is mobile, and investors move where projects move.

If Canada can streamline governance, align federal and provincial leadership, modernize regulatory execution, and build meaningful Indigenous economic participation, the upside is enormous. Modeling suggests the country could add trillions in economic value over the next decade.

This episode is not about theory. It is about implementation.

If Canada gets this right, it does not just build projects. It reshapes its economic future.

Links: 

Public Policy Forum's website

Build Big Things Playbook

Yiota Kokkinos - LinkedIn

Jay Khosla - LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Ben Gerber, President and CEO of CleanCounts, the nonprofit organization operating one of the most critical yet least visible pieces of clean energy infrastructure in North America.

CleanCounts serves as the system of record behind clean energy markets, ensuring renewable electricity and clean fuels are tracked accurately, transparently, and without double counting. While few people ever interact with a clean energy registry directly, nearly every clean energy transaction depends on one.

Ben shares how CleanCounts grew from a small, compliance-focused nonprofit into North America’s largest clean energy registry by volume, supporting both regulated markets and the rapidly expanding voluntary market. Over the past decade, the organization scaled by solving hard, unglamorous problems that others overlooked, building credibility through audited financials, customer-first service, and a relentless focus on data integrity.

The conversation explores why registries function as invisible infrastructure, underpinning corporate climate commitments, state policies, and emerging 24/7 carbon-free energy goals. Ben explains why clean energy attributes exist in the first place, what critics often misunderstand about them, and why abandoning accounting systems in favor of simplistic grid averages would have serious consequences for renewable development, jobs, and investment.

A pivotal moment in CleanCounts’ evolution came when the organization brought software development in-house. That decision allowed CleanCounts to innovate faster, lower costs, and prepare for market changes years before they became mainstream, including hourly energy tracking, hydrogen and nuclear certificates, pollinator-friendly solar credits, and future clean ammonia registries.

Ben also unpacks the growing complexity of climate accounting as corporate buyers move beyond procurement toward measurable emissions impact. From hourly matching to emissionality models, he explains why no single framework is a silver bullet and why flexibility, optionality, and validated data matter more than ideology.

The episode closes with a forward-looking view of the clean energy transition, where electrons and molecules increasingly intersect, data transparency becomes embedded in everyday decision-making, and trust remains the foundation that makes scale possible.

If you want to understand how clean energy markets actually function and why counting correctly matters as much as building fast, this conversation provides rare clarity.

Links:

Ben Gerber on LinkedIn

CleanCounts Website

CleanCounts expands clean energy tracking 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Ed McGinnis, President and CEO of Curio, to challenge one of the most entrenched assumptions in clean energy: that nuclear waste is an unsolvable problem.

With more than three decades of experience across the U.S. Department of Energy, the White House, and national security institutions, McGinnis brings a rare, systems-level perspective to the conversation. Today, he leads Curio, a company working to recycle spent nuclear fuel, dramatically reduce long-term waste volumes, and fuel the next generation of advanced reactors.

The discussion reframes spent nuclear fuel as a largely untapped national asset. McGinnis explains how U.S. policy decisions dating back decades sidelined recycling, why only a small fraction of nuclear fuel’s energy is ever used, and how modern recycling approaches could strengthen energy security, decarbonization, and supply chain independence at the same time.

Key themes include:

• Why spent nuclear fuel still contains enormous energy and economic value
• How Curio’s NuCycle® process differs from legacy recycling methods
• The role nuclear recycling can play in advanced reactors and AI-driven electricity demand
• How recycling can reduce long-term storage requirements from hundreds of thousands of years to centuries
• Why vertical integration across recycling, fuel supply, and reactors matters for nuclear’s future

McGinnis also discusses Curio’s recent milestones, including national laboratory validation of its technology, strategic partnerships, and progress toward commercial-scale deployment.

This episode offers a grounded, pragmatic look at how nuclear energy can move beyond stalled policy and legacy assumptions to become a cornerstone of a resilient, clean, and secure energy system.

Links:
Ed McGinnis on LinkedIn
Curio's Website

To book this guest on your podcast or news program, please contact Brian Hyland at Cricket Public Relations:
www.cricketpr.com
CPR@Cricketpr.com 
(201) 410-4563

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Kevin shares his journey from engineering physics and materials science into clean energy startups, including batteries, microgrids, and electrochemical systems, and how those experiences prepared him to help build Electra from a literal garage startup into a company focused on reinventing iron and steelmaking. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to scale physical climate technology, where progress is measured in years rather than software release cycles.

This episode goes beyond the technology. Kevin explains why steel is a systems problem, not just a technical one, and how Electra approaches decarbonization without simply shifting environmental harm elsewhere. From reducing waste across the mining and steel value chain to designing processes compatible with renewable energy, Electra’s mission is about solving one problem without creating another.

Wes and Kevin also unpack what startup life actually demands, why early-stage companies can be powerful accelerators for professional growth, and how leadership evolves as teams scale. Kevin offers thoughtful insight on building trust, enabling teams, making hard pivots when new breakthroughs emerge, and choosing the right investors for long-term, capital-intensive climate solutions.

The conversation closes with an optimistic look at the future of clean energy and heavy industry, advice for young engineers considering climate tech careers, and a vision for what the world could look like if low-carbon steel becomes the norm.

Key themes covered in this episode include:

• Why steel is one of the biggest and least understood climate challenges
• How Electra is rethinking iron production using clean energy and systems-level design
• Lessons from scaling hard tech startups and leading engineering teams
• The importance of aligned investors in physical climate technology
• Career advice for engineers and operators entering clean energy

If you’re interested in climate tech, clean energy innovation, industrial decarbonization, or what it really takes to build companies that change how the world works, this is a must-listen episode.

Links: 

Kevin Galloway on LinkedIn

Electra's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jeremy Teresinski, Vice President of Construction at Qcells USA, to explore how one of the most ambitious EPC platforms in the country is redefining how large-scale solar gets built.

Jeremy’s leadership story is anything but traditional. He started his career as a day laborer installing solar modules, worked his way through the trades and electrical apprenticeship, and ultimately rose into executive leadership. Today, he oversees construction execution for Qcells’ self-perform utility-scale projects, including some of the largest solar and energy storage developments currently underway in the United States.

This conversation is about execution, people, and preparation at scale.

Wes and Jeremy unpack how Qcells rapidly built a construction organization from the ground up, moving from minimal self-perform capability to delivering projects measured in hundreds of megawatts and gigawatts. Jeremy shares the systems, standards, and leadership principles required to scale without sacrificing safety, quality, or culture.

Key topics include:

• How Qcells built a scalable construction platform focused on standardization and execution
• Why preparation and planning matter more than speed alone
• How empowering field leaders drives accountability and performance
• What most executives misunderstand about craft labor
• How Qcells supports workforce development, training, and well-being
• The role of automation, physical AI, and new skill sets in the future of solar construction
• Why solar remains the fastest and most affordable solution to meet explosive power demand from AI and data centers

This episode offers a rare look at what the energy transition looks like when leadership comes from the field and execution is treated as a strategic advantage.

If you care about how clean energy is actually built, this is a must-listen.

Links: 

Jeremy Teresinski on LinkedIn

Qcells USA EPC Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Tristan Walker, President at Massif Energy, a company rethinking how renewable projects get built by putting communities at the center from day one.

Tristan grew up in a boom-and-bust resource town in British Columbia. He trained as an aerospace engineer, worked in municipal government, and even ran a clothing brand that funded community solar projects. Today, he's leading a new kind of clean energy company; one that starts every project with the question: "What does this community actually want?"

What You'll Learn:

• Why community resistance often starts before the first permit is filed
• How oil and gas earned loyalty in rural regions and what renewables can learn from that
• The disconnect between local communities and institutional project owners
• How to build pride and trust by co-designing projects from the ground up
• Why BC’s hydro storage makes it a hidden asset in a renewables-first future
• A mindset shift every developer and investor should adopt if they want to scale faster

This episode is for you if:

• You build, invest in, or develop clean energy projects
• You partner with Indigenous or rural communities
• You care about scaling renewables with real public support
• You believe trust is as important as technology in the energy transition

Links: 

Tristan Walker on LinkedIn

Massif Energy's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Winston Morton, CEO of Climative, to explore how physical climate risk is reshaping the economics of buildings across North America and why resilience is emerging as one of the most important value drivers in real estate.

With more than two decades of experience spanning engineering, enterprise IT, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and clean energy, Winston brings a systems-level perspective to one of the biggest challenges in the energy transition: how to turn awareness into action at scale.

Climative sits at the intersection of climate risk, building performance, and financial decision-making. Its platform helps homeowners, banks, insurers, utilities, contractors, and governments understand how climate impacts a specific building, which upgrades improve resilience and efficiency, and how those investments translate into lower risk and higher long-term value.

In this conversation, Wes and Winston unpack why traditional energy programs often fail to drive action, how emotional and life-stage moments influence homeowner decisions, and why comparing energy use to neighbors is rarely enough. Winston explains the three pillars required for real activation: clear guidance, affordable capital, and trusted execution.

They also explore a powerful analogy shaping Climative’s vision: the idea that buildings need a climate “credit score.” Just as financial systems rely on standardized data to price risk, today’s housing market lacks a unified, scalable way to assess physical climate risk across millions of buildings. That gap is now being priced into insurance, lending, and asset valuation, often without homeowners realizing it.

The discussion goes deeper into why the climate conversation is shifting from prevention to adaptation, how catastrophic losses are accelerating changes in insurance and finance, and why economics, not policy, will define the next phase of climate progress. Winston outlines the massive retrofit opportunity sitting idle across North America and what it will take to unlock over a trillion dollars in resilience, efficiency, and clean energy investments.

This episode is essential listening for anyone working in climate, energy, real estate, finance, insurance, or infrastructure, and for homeowners trying to understand how climate risk is quietly reshaping the future of housing.

Key themes include:

• Why climate risk is becoming financial risk
• How resilience upgrades impact insurance, mortgages, and home value
• The missing data layer holding back large-scale retrofits
• Why economics will drive climate action faster than policy
• How Climative is building a scalable platform for millions of buildings

Listen to learn how the future of home value will be defined by resilience, data, and action.

Links: 

Winston Morton on LinkedIn

Climative's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Marty Rogers, General Manager for North America at SolarEdge, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, global perspective, and what a healthy solar industry actually looks like over the next decade.

Marty’s career spans more than three decades across electrical distribution, global manufacturing, service organizations, and renewable energy leadership. From building businesses in the U.S. to leading teams across Asia and Europe, his experience gives him a rare operator’s lens on how solar has evolved, where it struggles, and why its long-term fundamentals remain strong.

The conversation begins with Marty’s unconventional career path and the formative leadership lessons he learned early, including the importance of patience, cultural awareness, and empowering teams rather than micromanaging them. He explains how global experience reshaped his approach to leadership and why strong middle management is often the true engine behind execution and growth.

From there, the discussion moves into the realities of the “solar coaster.” Marty breaks down why the industry’s ups and downs often feel dramatic in the moment, yet consistently trend upward over time. He shares why policy changes, incentives, and political noise rarely alter the long-term trajectory, and how smart operators adapt rather than panic.

A major theme of the episode is the shift from viewing solar as a transactional product to understanding it as a 20–30 year partnership. Marty explains why long-term service, support, and customer trust are essential to sustaining the industry and how that mindset influences everything from product design to organizational structure.

The episode also dives deep into today’s biggest growth areas, including commercial rooftop solar, energy storage, and virtual power plants. Marty outlines why commercial rooftops remain one of the most underutilized assets in the country, how storage has moved rapidly from optional to essential, and why VPPs are becoming a critical tool for grid stability and cost control.

Listeners will also hear an inside look at SolarEdge’s U.S.-based manufacturing strategy, including inverter and battery production across multiple states and the significance of exporting solar technology from the United States. Marty explains how shorter supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and product simplicity are reshaping reliability, scalability, and installer experience.

The conversation closes with a forward-looking view of the industry. Marty shares why solar’s fundamentals remain strong, why demand for energy is only accelerating, and why the industry’s future continues to move “up and to the right.”

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How global leadership experience shapes better solar organizations
• Why solar’s long-term growth remains intact despite policy swings
• The importance of treating solar as a decades-long partnership
• Why commercial rooftops and storage represent massive untapped opportunity
• How virtual power plants are quietly becoming essential grid infrastructure
• What responsible scaling and U.S.-based manufacturing really mean for solar’s future

Links: 

Marty Rogers on LinkedIn

SolarEdge

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

SparkCharge is best known for building the world’s first portable EV charging network, but the conversation goes far beyond charging vehicles. David explains how mobile energy storage, pay-as-you-go models, and rapid deployment are solving some of the biggest bottlenecks in clean energy adoption, from long infrastructure timelines to rising grid constraints.

Drawing on more than two decades of experience across finance, mobility, and energy technology, including leadership roles at Zipcar, Deloitte, and Spartan, David shares how aligning sustainability with strong unit economics is the key to scaling climate solutions.

Key Themes Covered

• Why EV infrastructure keeps falling behind demand
  David breaks down why traditional charging infrastructure is too slow, too expensive, and often underutilized, especially for fleets trying to scale quickly.
• How SparkCharge’s portable, pay-as-you-go model works
  The discussion explains how SparkCharge eliminates upfront capital costs, deploys in days instead of years, and scales energy up or down based on real usage rather than peak assumptions.
• Flexibility as a competitive advantage
  From same-day deployments to serving locations without grid upgrades, SparkCharge’s approach gives fleets operational certainty while reducing financial risk.
• When delivered energy can be cheaper than the grid
  David walks through peak shaving, avoiding demand charges, and absorbing surplus renewable energy, showing how mobile storage can lower energy costs while supporting grid stability.
• Beyond EVs: supporting the grid and other power-constrained industries
  The conversation expands into non-wire alternatives, frequency regulation, data centers, and how mobile energy assets are becoming essential as electricity demand accelerates.
• Why EVs are deflationary and ICE vehicles are not
  David explains total cost of ownership, declining battery prices, lower maintenance, and why EVs continue to improve over time through software updates.
• What the U.S. must do to stay competitive
  The episode explores policy consistency, infrastructure incentives, and why pace matters as global competition in clean energy intensifies.
• The role of AI in accelerating electrification
  David shares how SparkCharge is using AI to reduce fleet analysis timelines from months to minutes, enabling faster and more accurate energy deployments.

Why This Episode Matters

As electrification expands across transportation, data centers, and industry, the grid is under unprecedented pressure. This episode offers a practical look at how mobile energy, storage, and flexible deployment models can close the gap between ambition and execution, without waiting years for infrastructure to catch up.

Whether you’re leading a fleet, building energy infrastructure, or navigating the clean energy transition, this conversation provides real-world insight into what scalable, economically viable solutions look like today.

Links:

David Piperno on LinkedIn

SparkCharge's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With two decades of experience spanning A123Systems, 24M, Ionic Materials, and now Volexion, Joe brings a rare blend of hard-won insight and strategic clarity. This isn’t a conversation about hype. It’s about navigating the messy, capital-constrained, slow-moving reality of energy storage innovation and doing it anyway.

Volexion’s approach? A conformal graphene coating, what Joe describes as a “wetsuit for cathodes.” It’s a subtle but powerful manufacturing innovation that improves battery performance without overhauling production lines. And it’s gaining traction globally.

But this episode goes far deeper than the tech. We unpack what it takes to build hard tech startups in the U.S., close the missing-middle funding gap, and lead teams through the emotional rollercoaster of building the next generation of industrial infrastructure.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the cathode, not the anode, may be the most underleveraged opportunity in battery innovation
• How Volexion’s “small change, big impact” strategy drives measurable results with minimal disruption
• What it takes to turn university research into commercial materials shipped around the world
• The brutal realities of funding first-of-a-kind facilities and what hard tech really needs from investors
• Why battery breakthroughs haven’t followed the step-change model of software and why that’s okay
• How Joe leads through uncertainty and builds resilience inside small, mission-driven teams

Why it matters:
Energy storage is foundational to the electrification of everything. Battery innovation is a national priority. But meaningful progress doesn’t always look like sci-fi headlines. Sometimes, it’s a quiet revolution in materials science, backed by great people and smart capital.

Whether you're a battery nerd, an energy investor, or a founder navigating the tough terrain of cleantech startups, this episode is a must-listen.

Links: 

Joe Adiletta on LinkedIn

Volexion's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Mike Silvestrini, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Energea. After developing more than 500 solar projects across three continents and scaling Greenskies into a national C&I leader, Mike is now opening global solar investing to everyday investors.

He unpacks the hard realities, the operational lessons, and the global opportunities most people never see.

Inside the episode:

How Greenskies scaled from a two-person startup

• Why being undercapitalized became their advantage
• How Walmart and Target reshaped the businesss
• What selling the company taught Mike about timing

How Energea was created

• The financing gap Mike discovered while meeting solar companies around the world
• Why emerging markets offered high-quality projects but little access to capital
• How Energea structures diversified portfolios with monthly dividends

Global markets and performance

• Why Brazil became a breakout success
• How South Africa’s unstable grid drives demand for solar-plus-storage
• Why Colombia’s hydro volatility creates huge opportunity

Operating solar assets in the real world

•  Why theft is often a bigger threat than weather
•  Why key O&M and customer functions stay in-house
•  How experience shapes better underwriting and better assets

Mike also shares why he believes solar is positioned to win on economics, even if public perception lags behind.

If you want a clearer view of how global solar projects are financed, built, and operated, this conversation delivers rare insight from someone who has been in the trenches for nearly two decades.

Links:

Mike Silvestrini on LinkedIn

Energea's Website

Energea - Get Started

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth dives into one of the most overlooked and misunderstood challenges of the clean energy transition: nuclear waste disposal.

His guest, Rod Baltzer, is a 25-year veteran of the nuclear waste industry and now CEO of Deep Isolation, a company pioneering deep horizontal borehole disposal for spent nuclear fuel. With a background in finance and a career spanning public and private sector leadership, Rod brings a rare combination of technical insight, regulatory experience, and business acumen to an issue most would rather ignore.

For decades, the nuclear industry has lacked a permanent solution for high-level waste, relying instead on short-term storage and costly, politically stalled mined repository concepts. Deep Isolation offers a radically different approach: leveraging proven directional drilling technology from oil and gas to safely and affordably isolate nuclear waste more than a mile underground, horizontally, in stable geologic formations.

Rod breaks down:

• Why traditional mined repositories are 70% more expensive and far slower to implement
• How horizontal boreholes can isolate waste for over a million years with peak doses lower than a single banana per year
• What Deep Isolation’s universal canister makes possible across fuel types, reprocessing, and storage
• Why the real bottleneck isn’t technology, but outdated U.S. policy stuck on Yucca Mountain
• How countries like Estonia and others in Eastern Europe are leapfrogging the U.S. with forward-looking nuclear strategies

This episode also tackles widespread myths, including the “green goo” misconception, and explains why transportation concerns persist, even though nuclear waste has an extraordinary safety record.

Rod shares why the nuclear industry can’t afford to treat waste as an afterthought any longer, and why solving it now is essential to ensuring nuclear’s role in a clean energy future.

If you're curious about the back end of the nuclear lifecycle and how it may be the unlock for scaling next-gen clean power, this conversation delivers both a reality check and a hopeful vision for what's possible.

Links

Rod Baltzer on LinkedIn

Deep Isolation's Website

YouTube Video - Rocket Powered Train Impact Test of Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipping Cask

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Dr Janette Freeman, Vice President of Business Development at Fabtech Solar Solutions, one of the few companies in the United States specializing in solar panel recycling, refurbishment, and reuse. Blending decades of leadership experience with a background in consciousness studies, Dr. Freeman brings a rare combination of technical clarity, industry insight, and human-centered perspective to one of clean energy’s most misunderstood challenges.

Together, they break down the true scale of solar waste, why perceptions don’t match reality, and how the recycling landscape is evolving far faster than most people realize. Dr. Freeman also explains the economics behind recycling, why the reuse market is reawakening, and how developers, EPCs, and asset owners can plan ahead to protect both budgets and brand reputation.

Beyond the operational side, this episode explores the mindset required to lead in a rapidly changing renewable energy ecosystem. Dr. Freeman shares how resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence have shaped her approach to navigating the solar coaster and helping steer an emerging industry toward circularity.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why solar panel waste is dramatically smaller than often portrayed
• The biggest misconceptions that still slow down recycling adoption
• What 75 percent of today’s recycling volumes reveal about industry growth
• How companies decide between refurbishing, reselling, or fully recycling modules
• The economics behind recycling and why costs are dropping
• How risk, compliance, and reputation increasingly influence end-of-life decisions
• Why landfill access is tightening and how that accelerates circular solutions
• How the recycling market has rapidly expanded from only a handful of providers
• What the next decade looks like as the first major wave of utility-scale projects retires
• The leadership mindset needed to stay steady in a volatile, high-growth sector

Dr. Freeman’s mission is simple: keep solar modules out of landfills and in the circular economy. Her work demonstrates how technical innovation, practical problem-solving, and grounded leadership can move an entire industry forward.

If you work in solar development, EPC, asset management, recycling, sustainability, or energy policy, this episode delivers essential clarity on one of the most important and misunderstood components of the clean energy transition.

Tune in to learn how the recycling revolution is taking shape and why mindset matters just as much as machinery.

Links: 

Dr. Janette Freeman on LinkedIn

Fabtech Solar Solutions' Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In Episode 78 of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth welcomes back Kimberlee Centera, Founder and CEO of TerraPro Solutions, one of the renewable industry’s most trusted names in risk management and project finance.

Over more than 30 years in renewables, Kimberlee has guided utility-scale projects through every policy swing imaginable. But this conversation goes far beyond spreadsheets and contracts. It’s a deep, honest look at how leaders, developers, and communities navigate change when the playbook gets rewritten in real time.

Together, Wes and Kimberlee explore:

• Leadership under pressure: How to build trust and communicate when everything feels uncertain
• Community impact: Why renewable projects are more than energy, they’re lifelines for rural economies
• Policy shifts and resilience: What HR1 means for developers, and how the smartest teams are adapting
• Culture and values: How Kimberlee keeps her virtual team engaged, aligned, and growing through change
• The next generation of leaders: Why collaboration and inclusion are shaping the industry’s future

From clawbacks and compliance confusion to new state-level alliances, Kimberlee breaks down what this new era of renewables really looks like and what it demands from leaders who refuse to sit still.

Her message is clear: Uncertainty is inevitable, but pausing progress isn’t an option. The brave will keep moving, keep building, and keep people at the center of the mission.

If you’re a developer, investor, or leader navigating the new renewable landscape, this episode delivers real insight, encouragement, and a reminder that innovation often grows out of adversity.

Links: 

Kimberlee Centera on LinkedIn
TerraPro Solutions
Episode 39 with Kimberlee

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Steffanie Dohn, Vice President of Government Affairs at McCarthy Building Companies, shares how one of America’s most trusted EPCs is redefining what progress looks like. From reframing the national energy conversation to transforming rural economies through workforce development and authentic community engagement, this conversation explores what it truly means to build trust through energy.

Full Show Notes

When most people talk about the energy transition, they talk about technology. Steffanie Dohn talks about people.

As Vice President of Government Affairs at McCarthy Building Companies, Steffanie has built her career at the intersection of policy, community, and progress. She helped shape landmark legislation like South Carolina’s Energy Freedom Act and now leads government affairs for one of the most respected engineering, procurement, and construction firms in the United States.

In this conversation, Steffanie and host Wes Ashworth explore how building trust has become McCarthy’s competitive advantage, and why the next frontier of renewable energy success depends less on megawatts and more on mindset.

Together, they unpack the essential building blocks of lasting energy progress:

• Reframing the national dialogue: why it is time to stop talking as much about “renewables” and start talking more about energy as a whole
• Community engagement that lasts: how early, authentic outreach can transform skepticism into local pride and long-term partnership
• The workforce revolution: how McCarthy’s apprenticeship programs and local hiring commitments are creating careers, not just jobs, in rural America
• Depoliticizing energy: how business leaders can step into advocacy to bridge divides and strengthen America’s energy reliability
• A “yes, and” mindset: why embracing multiple energy solutions, not competing over one, is the key to abundance and resilience

Through each story, Steffanie reveals a human-centered vision of the energy transition that honors the past, builds the future, and keeps communities at the heart of progress.

Whether you are an EPC leader, policymaker, developer, or someone who wants to understand what is really happening on the front lines of energy transformation, this episode delivers insight, inspiration, and practical lessons from one of the industry’s most trusted voices.

Links:

Steffanie Dohn on LinkedIn

McCarthy Building Companies 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Emily’s career bridges both sides of the energy spectrum. A sixth-generation Texan who built her career in Washington, DC, she has spent more than 20 years translating the language of policy, power, and investment for companies across the energy landscape. At NOVUS Energy Advisors, she helps clients connect hydrocarbons, electrons, land, and capital into deals that can withstand market shifts and policy cycles.

In this conversation, Wes and Emily explore how to move from rivalry to partnership in the energy transition. They discuss the gaps in understanding between oil and gas and renewables, the rapid rise of AI-driven power demand, and how real estate and data centers are now shaping the grid itself. Emily shares what she has learned from decades of navigating both boardrooms and backfields, and how she helps organizations find common ground in a polarized industry.

Topics covered in this episode:

• How the oil and gas and renewable sectors can learn from each other
• Why the biggest barriers to collaboration are cultural, not technical
• The AI and data center boom and what it means for the power grid
• The truth about permitting and interconnection bottlenecks
• How utilities and developers can plan smarter in an era of exponential load growth
• What regulation really signals about maturity and commercialization
• Why trades, field experience, and historical knowledge are irreplaceable in the new workforce
• How to spot true operators versus opportunists in a fast-changing market

Emily also shares her outlook on carbon capture, direct air capture, and the policies shaping those technologies. She explains why regulation often follows commercialization and how that shift can signal progress rather than punishment. Throughout, she brings a rare blend of technical fluency, policy insight, and human perspective that makes complex topics understandable and actionable.

For anyone trying to navigate the intersection of energy, technology, and capital, this episode offers a masterclass in how to think long-term and build relationships that last through every cycle.

Links: 

Emily Easley on LinkedIn

Novus Energy Advisors Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

From the early days of pilot projects to today’s grid-scale deployments, energy storage has gone from peripheral to pivotal. Justin offers a rare insider’s view into how this once-overlooked technology is now seen as the Swiss Army knife of the grid: able to enhance reliability, enable renewables, and reshape how we think about generation, consumption, and resilience.

This conversation cuts through the hype and misconceptions to uncover what’s really happening in the sector and where it’s headed.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why energy storage is no longer a science experiment and why it’s ready now
• The evolution of market design and the rise of “value stacking”
• How long-duration technologies are unlocking multi-day grid flexibility
• What’s missing between critical mineral extraction and battery manufacturing
• Why Indigenous equity is a must in clean energy development
• How distributed storage could defer traditional grid investments
• What gives Justin hope about the grid’s future

If you're curious about how storage intersects with climate policy, critical minerals, community engagement, and the broader transition to net-zero, this episode is for you.

Links: 

Justin Rangooni on LinkedIn

Energy Storage Canada

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Andrew Moles, Vice President and General Manager of PCL Solar, the powerhouse EPC that’s helped deliver over 12 gigawatts of solar capacity across North America and Australia.

Andrew shares a refreshingly candid look at how PCL Solar has managed to scale across three continents without sacrificing the one thing that matters most, its people.

You’ll hear how Andrew and his team built a data-driven, culture-led solar business that resists the temptation to chase growth at any cost. From turning down 80% of incoming bids to protect project quality, to creating a culture where mistakes become the most valuable learning opportunities, this conversation is packed with lessons for leaders navigating fast growth and high stakes.

In this episode, Wes and Andrew explore:

• Why PCL Solar declined the majority of projects one year and how that decision protected its long-term success
• The balance between ambition and burnout: what it means to “stretch people without breaking them”
• How PCL Solar turned its culture into a competitive advantage across 260+ staff in multiple countries
• What Australia’s Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) could teach the rest of the world about grid planning
• Emerging trends like grid-forming inverters and DC-coupled storage systems that could redefine the next decade of utility-scale solar
• Why Andrew believes the best leaders are “masters of change management”

At its core, this episode is about leadership, the kind that blends growth with discipline, innovation with humility, and data with deep respect for people.

If you’re leading teams, building projects, or scaling renewable energy operations, you’ll walk away with real-world lessons from one of the most thoughtful operators in the business.

Links: 

Andrew Moles on LinkedIn

PCL Solar

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, we sit down with Brian DeBruine, founder of the Colorado Hydrogen Network and host of the Hydrogen NowCast podcast. After a 36-year career at Honeywell Aerospace, Brian stepped out of retirement to help solve one of the energy transition’s most overlooked bottlenecks: the absence of a hydrogen market.

From building out infrastructure and educating fleets, to winning major federal grants and advocating for naturally occurring hydrogen, Brian is on a mission to accelerate what he calls the "molecular economy," a necessary complement to the electrify-everything narrative.

We cover a wide range of essential insights, including:

• Why hydrogen is uniquely suited for heavy-duty transport, industry, and chemical processes
• The surprising promise of natural hydrogen as a low-cost, renewable energy source
• What most clean energy advocates get wrong about adoption, infrastructure, and performance parity
• Why hydrogen is a business problem more than a technical one and how to break the stalemate
• How Brian’s nonprofit is aligning fleets, fuel stations, and producers to jumpstart the market
• Lessons from aerospace that now drive his work in clean energy systems and policy
• The pushback hydrogen often gets and why it’s time to move past all-or-nothing thinking

This episode is a masterclass in systems-level problem solving, delivered by someone turning ideas into real infrastructure. Whether you're deep in the energy sector or just curious about what comes next, this conversation will reframe how you think about the future of fuels.

🎧 Listen now to learn how we can build a hydrogen economy: faster, smarter, and together.

Links: 

Brian DeBruine on LinkedIn

Colorado Hydrogen Network

HydrogenNowCast

Resources

Join Colorodo Hydrogen Network/Newsletter

Brian's email:  brian.debruine@gmail.com 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jae Choi, VP and Head of Global Operations at ArkN, a subsidiary of SK Group. With nearly 20 years of experience spanning energy storage, fleet charging, and microgrid development, Jae brings a rare vantage point on how to build projects that last.

Together, they unpack the disconnect between soaring electricity demand and struggling project economics and why grid value, not subsidies, must drive design in this new era.

Listeners will gain insights on:

• Revenue stacking done right: How to capture multiple value streams without cannibalizing performance.
• HR1 as a market reset: Why the “big beautiful bill” forces discipline and strengthens long-term viability.
• AI-powered storage: How artificial intelligence transforms batteries from blunt tools into precision assets.
• Financing strategies: Why anchoring projects to grid services can cut capital costs and secure debt.
• Leadership under volatility: Jae’s playbook for keeping teams adaptable, decisive, and resilient.

ArkN’s vertically integrated strategy, spanning development, financing, and operations, offers a case study in building future-proof infrastructure. From overcoming interconnection bottlenecks to tailoring systems around hyperscale loads, Jae illustrates what it takes to succeed in today’s turbulent market.

For project developers, financiers, and renewable energy leaders, this conversation is a masterclass in balancing technology, economics, and human leadership.

Links:

Jae Choi on LinkedIn

ArkN

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With nearly two decades of international experience in LNG and senior leadership roles at Shell and PetroChina Canada, Jan brings a deep commercial lens to renewable energy solutions. At Arder, he and his team are tackling industrial heat decarbonization through pragmatic, market-led strategies that prioritize simplicity, profitability, and cross-industry collaboration.

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Jan shares how power-to-heat technologies, thermal energy storage, and smarter business models are reshaping what’s possible for industrial clients and why the solutions that scale don’t always need to be the most complex.

We explore:

• Why industrial heat is the “unsung hero” of the energy transition
• The three guiding principles Arder applies: start simple, scale with profitability, and break industry echo chambers
• Real-world examples of fast, profitable decarbonization wins
• How thermal energy storage is turning grid volatility into an industrial advantage
• Why policies that level the playing field could unlock billions in low-cost industrial decarbonization
• The cultural and commercial shifts needed to bridge oil & gas, renewables, and power markets

Jan’s perspective is refreshingly grounded in economics, scalability, and collaboration. His vision is clear: if industrial decarbonization is profitable, it will scale and it will reshape the energy system in ways that are lasting and affordable.

🎧 Listen to this conversation with Jan Poetsch to discover why industrial heat deserves a front-row seat in the energy transition and how breaking silos between industries can unlock practical, scalable climate solutions.

Links: 

Jan Poetsch on LinkedIn

Arder Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Jorge Diaz Schneider, CEO of ION Storage Systems, and Todd Crescenzo, Managing Partner & CIO at Clear Creek Investments, to explore how ION is breaking through decades of stalled promises in battery innovation.

ION’s Cornerstone program is already in the hands of customers across consumer electronics, aerospace, defense, and EVs. Unlike the traditional “hero cell” approach, ION delivers consistent, scalable prototypes that prove what is possible when you solve the swelling, safety, and form factor limitations of lithium-ion.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why batteries are one of the biggest constraints on electrification and AI adoption
• How ION’s ceramic bilayer design enables cathode-agnostic, non-swelling, safer batteries
• Why consumer electronics are the ideal proving ground before EV adoption
• How ION moved from lab innovation to a robotic pilot line without reinventing the wheel
• Why investors see ION as a true platform technology with horizontal and vertical applications
• The misconceptions about “solid state” and what really matters in commercialization

From smart glasses to drones to EVs, ION Storage Systems is building the “Intel Inside” of the battery world, a flexible technology platform that enhances rather than replaces existing infrastructure.

Whether you are an innovator, investor, or operator in the energy transition, this conversation reveals what is next in powering the future.

Links: 

Jorge on LinkedIn

Todd on LinkedIn 

ION Storage Systems Site

Video Jorge referenced

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Drawing from her unique background, Meghan shares how Madison’s work with school districts is delivering triple-impact results: lower energy costs, stronger sustainability leadership, and hands-on student learning. But this isn’t just about kilowatt-hours or curriculum standards, it’s about community, opportunity, and inspiring the next generation of clean energy leaders.

Whether you're a district decision-maker, a workforce strategist, or simply passionate about renewable energy's future, this episode delivers a front-row seat to how public schools are becoming unlikely champions of the clean energy transition.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How solar is saving school districts millions, without upfront costs
• Why price certainty is a game-changer for public institutions
• How solar installations are fueling workforce development from kindergarten through graduation
• What makes solar education stick and how it’s reshaping student career paths
• The surprising power of real-time dashboards, hands-on experiments, and simple questions like: “What do you notice?”
• Why the "Solar Empowered Schools" initiative is gaining momentum in communities large and small
• How even one passionate teacher, student, or facilities leader can catalyze district-wide change

About Meghan Milo

Meghan brings a rare combination of classroom experience and energy expertise to her role at Madison Energy Infrastructure. With nearly a decade of teaching under her belt and a prior career in energy analysis and curriculum development, she now leads efforts to integrate solar energy education into K–12 systems nationwide. Her work connects clean energy infrastructure to real-world learning, creating a bridge between today’s school buildings and tomorrow’s energy workforce.

Links: 

Solar Empowered Schools - Take Action

Solar Empowered Schools - Classroom Resources

Madison Energy Infrastructure's Website

Meghan Milo on LinkedIn

Episode 39 with Kimberlee Centera

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Few leaders know this rollercoaster better than Brad Stutzman, CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based company pioneering commercial and industrial solar solutions.

Since founding O3 Energy in 2011, Brad has helped the company evolve from financing projects in a shaky middle market to launching innovations like the Solar Split model and O3 Asset Care, while expanding into international markets like Mexico. Along the way, he’s navigated gut-wrenching pivots, including shutting down O3’s residential division, and emerged with a philosophy that blends endurance, realism, and optimism: the industry will always find a way.

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth and Brad explore:

• The early days of O3 Energy and why Brad saw opportunity in commercial solar when others overlooked it.
• The Solar Split model — how property owners can now share solar savings directly with tenants.
• Why asset management is renewables’ hidden weak link — and how O3 Asset Care helps prevent millions in lost revenue.
• Lessons from Mexico’s energy crisis and what it signals about U.S. policy risk.
• What today’s transition has in common with past revolutions like electrification, automobiles, and the dawn of credit cards.
• Leadership through volatility — making tough calls, staying steady, and keeping purpose front and center.

Brad’s journey is a masterclass in resilience and innovation for anyone navigating renewable energy’s wild ride. Whether you’re an investor, developer, or industry leader, this conversation offers clarity on where solar is headed and how to thrive through the ups and downs.

Links: 

Brad Stutzman on LinkedIn

O3 Energy's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Scott isn’t just a veteran of the solar coaster. He’s a grounded, clear-thinking voice who has helped REC Solar evolve from a contractor into a national independent power producer. Over the past 15 years, he’s seen policies change, markets swing, and companies rise and fall. Through it all, he has remained focused on one thing: building systems that last.

This conversation isn’t about hype. It is about pragmatic optimism, the kind that only comes from hard-won experience.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why staying power beats speed in solar development, and how to build for the long haul
• How financial models become trust models, and why long-term alignment is non-negotiable
• The evolving role of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in the age of direct pay and IRA incentives
• What most procurement teams get wrong about buying solar, and how to reframe the value conversation
• The hidden risks of system ownership, and how poor design decisions haunt projects for decades
• How structured finance is raising the bar on system quality, operations, and accountability
• The real meaning of “resiliency,” and why it requires more than just batteries
• Why a post-ITC solar market could unlock new flexibility and cost savings
• Scott’s advice to clean energy professionals feeling overwhelmed by policy shifts or market uncertainty

From microgrids to mission-critical campuses, from bad roof installs to investor-backed trust, this episode offers a grounded, inside look at how the solar industry is maturing and what it means for developers, buyers, and operators alike.

If you work in solar project development, public sector energy procurement, or renewable infrastructure investment, this episode is packed with insight on how to navigate the next chapter.

Links:

Scott Therien on LinkedIn

REC Solar's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Vinnie Campo, Co-Founder and CEO of Haven Energy, to explore how his team is flipping the traditional model of battery ownership on its head. Drawing from his experience scaling tech and energy companies like Uber and Bulb, Vinnie is building a platform that makes resilient, decentralized power available to the masses, often with no upfront cost to the homeowner.

This isn’t just about backup power. It’s about grid stability, market transformation, and a bold vision for distributed energy. Haven’s battery-as-a-service model is giving utilities access to flexible capacity, homeowners access to resilience, and the broader market a blueprint for how storage can scale equitably.

You’ll learn how Vinnie and the Haven team are:

• Making batteries accessible in underserved communities through utility partnerships
• Turning residential batteries into dispatchable grid assets via VPPs
• Building a scalable business at the intersection of regulated markets, hardware, and software
• Applying lessons from high-growth companies to real-world energy challenges
• Navigating regulatory volatility and rising electricity demand with speed and strategy

If you're in energy, cleantech, or just curious about what the grid of 2035 could look like, this conversation is packed with insight. Vinnie breaks down how residential storage is shifting from a luxury to an infrastructure essential and what it takes to lead that change.

Links:

• Vinnie Campo on LinkedIn
• Haven Energy's Website 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With over a decade of hands-on experience deploying solar PV, energy storage, LED lighting, and HVAC optimization, Owen has scaled multiple ventures from idea to eight-figure revenue. He’s seen the clean energy industry from the inside, as a Fortune 500 Global Energy Manager implementing $60M in projects, as the founder of Lumio, as the driving force behind ZNE Capital’s $75M in decarbonized apartments, and now as the leader of Shine, a company purpose-built to make solar profitable for apartment owners nationwide.

Owen shares why the biggest bottleneck in clean tech isn’t inventing new technology, it’s deploying what already works. He breaks down the unique barriers holding back solar in the multifamily sector, from the “split incentive problem” to the lack of billing and monitoring tools for individually metered properties. You’ll hear how Shine’s software platform and turnkey installation approach solve these problems, shifting the financial upside from tenants to property owners and making solar a true value-add in real estate deals.

Other highlights include:

• Why Owen believes sustainability teams must break out of their silos to accelerate adoption
• The dangers of chasing “low bid” in solar contracting and how quality contractors win on reputation
• The skilled trades shortage, and how the industry can attract the next generation
• Why Owen says sustainability degrees should be minors paired with high-value majors
• His take on AI’s impact on clean energy demand and the coming labor crunch
• The data points that give him long-term optimism, even in turbulent policy environments

Whether you’re a renewable energy professional, a multifamily real estate investor, or just curious about how clean tech scales in the real world, this episode delivers candid insights, financial clarity, and an optimistic roadmap for the future.

Links: 

Owen on LinkedIn

Shine's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Boyle brings a rare trifecta of experience: high-level public service under Senator John Kerry and Vice President Al Gore, real estate advisory at Trammell Crow, and two decades leading corporate sustainability at SR Inc. That unique lens fuels a radically practical view of ESG. One that centers on long-term enterprise value, not virtue signaling.

In this conversation, Jim unpacks how corporate sustainability is often misunderstood and why defining ESG correctly makes it nearly impossible to attack. He argues that true sustainability is not about saving the world. It is about saving the company in a world that is rapidly changing.

You will learn:

• Why reverse auctions are transforming how mid-sized companies access utility-scale clean energy
• How the Net Zero Consortium for Buyers is leveling the playing field for high-credit corporate buyers
• What CFOs get wrong (and right) about long-term renewable energy contracts
• How solar, batteries, and geothermal are scaling at “the speed of business” despite headlines
• Why fusion energy may reach commercialization faster than small nuclear reactors
• What the next 15 years of corporate energy strategy could actually look like

Boyle also offers a powerful look at the economic shift from resource-based scarcity to manufacturing-based abundance. He calls this the core disruption behind the clean energy revolution.

This is a masterclass in how forward-thinking companies are integrating science, strategy, and structure to lead in a time of ecological crisis.

Links: 

Jim Boyle on LinkedIn

SR Inc.'s Website 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

From growing up in Tunisia, where necessity shaped his passion for resourcefulness and impact, to leading multi-million-dollar battery storage deals across North America, Nasreddine has emerged as one of the sector’s most dynamic voices. In this wide-ranging conversation, he and Wes Ashworth explore the real forces transforming the energy market, the myths still holding it back, and the AI-driven innovations reshaping how companies consume and monetize energy.

You’ll learn about:

• Why renewables will thrive with or without incentives like the IRA
•  How distributed energy resources and automation are transforming the grid
•  Why Ontario is emerging as a global investment hub for DERs and PPAs
•  How Edgecom Energy is applying AI to simplify and scale energy strategy
•  The evolving role of utilities in a decentralized energy future
•  What policymakers must do now to shape an inclusive, efficient system
•  The truth about renewable reliability and lifecycle emissions
•  Practical advice for new entrants to the energy sector and how to build a meaningful, long-term career

Whether you're deep in the trenches of clean tech, navigating the intersection of AI and infrastructure, or simply seeking inspiration from a purpose-driven leader, this episode offers real-world insights you won’t find on a panel stage.

About Edgecom Energy:
Edgecom Energy is a leading AI-powered energy intelligence platform helping large energy users across North America make data-driven decisions, monetize DERs, and simplify participation in complex energy markets.

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Links: 

• Nasreddine on LinkedIn
• Edgecom Energy's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Shanelle brings two decades of experience spanning Capitol Hill, ethanol, wind, solar, and storage. She now leads a 9+ gigawatt and growing development pipeline and one of the most active teams in the industry.

What makes her stand out is not just the scale of her work. It's her people-first approach that’s redefining how clean energy earns trust and creates lasting value in rural America.

In this episode, we unpack:

• How clean energy became political and what we can do to fix it
• The development trifecta and how to align EPC, PPA, and interconnection timelines
• Tactics for turning local opposition into long-term support
• Grid myths and how to communicate the basics with clarity
• Why optionality is the key to project resilience in volatile markets
• What happens when developers truly listen to community needs

Shanelle also shares a powerful story of how a rural wind project helped fund broadband and reverse population decline. This conversation goes beyond energy policy and project mechanics. It's about trust, empathy, and impact.

If you're a developer, policymaker, investor, or simply curious about the future of energy, this episode is full of hard-earned insight and practical perspective.

Links: 

Shanelle on LinkedIn

Arevon's Website 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Daniel shares his remarkable journey from high-stakes finance in London to leading Boston Solar and now spearheading Above’s expansion into North America. He explores why the solar industry remains “drowning in data but starving for insights,” and how Above’s blend of drone technology, digital twins, and data analytics is bridging critical gaps in solar asset management.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Above moves beyond drone inspections to create factory-to-field traceability and digital twins that pinpoint solar asset issues earlier and more precisely.
• Why long-term condition monitoring at the module level, not just inverters, is key to ensuring solar’s reliability and bankability.
• How misaligned incentives between asset owners and O&M providers threaten solar’s potential and what must change.
• Daniel’s leadership philosophy of focusing on fewer priorities, enabling teams to excel, and creating transparency for faster solutions.
• Insights on the next frontier: autonomous drones, robotics, AI integration, and the creation of a seamless ecosystem to eliminate data silos across the solar project lifecycle.

Daniel’s perspective blends deep financial rigor with firsthand operational insight from the rooftop to the boardroom. He advocates for building partnerships, integrating diverse data sources, and refusing to settle for “good enough” in solar quality, especially as the U.S. expands its domestic manufacturing.

Whether you’re a solar developer, operator, investor, or simply renewable-curious, this episode offers practical wisdom on navigating the solar industry’s complexity and volatility and how to build a sustainable future where technology, people, and profitable business models align.

Tune in for a candid, energetic discussion that will challenge how you think about solar’s blind spots and inspire you to help the industry mature.

Links: 

Daniel on LinkedIn 

Above's Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

This week on Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Grant Gunnison, founder and CEO of Zero Homes, a climate tech startup reshaping how homeowners upgrade their homes for a cleaner future.

Grant’s career spans designing satellite laser communication systems for NASA and MIT, running his family’s contracting business, and now leading Zero Homes. That rare blend of high-tech engineering and boots-on-the-ground construction gave him a front-row seat to the chaos, cost, and inefficiencies that plague traditional home retrofits.

With Zero Homes, he’s removing the industry’s biggest friction point: the in-person site visit. Instead, Zero’s digital platform transforms a homeowner’s smartphone into a powerful planning tool. It generates permit-ready designs for heat pumps, electrical upgrades, water heaters, EV chargers, and more, all without contractors stepping inside the house.

In this episode, Wes and Grant unpack:

• Why America’s home energy upgrades remain time-consuming, costly, and confusing, and how Zero Homes aims to change that
• The staggering workforce challenge in decarbonizing millions of homes, and how software can bridge the gap
• How Zero Homes delivers virtual, collaborative design sessions that educate homeowners while providing precise, personalized recommendations
• The unique technical complexities of heat pump sizing and why a physics-based, digital approach matters
• How Zero Homes partners with contractors and utilities like Exelon to accelerate electrification without relying on massive subsidies
• Grant’s vision for Zero Homes as the nationwide “front door” to home electrification, and why he believes digital trust-building is key to scaling impact

Whether you’re in clean tech, utilities, construction, or simply a homeowner curious about electrification, this conversation reveals the future of how we’ll transform our homes and the grid.

Listen now and discover how the next wave of home energy innovation might start right from your smartphone.

Links:

Grant on LinkedIn

Zero Homes' Website

Zero Homes Joins Exelon's 2025 2c2i Cohort

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With over 30 years in power systems and engineering, James shares how e2 Companies has pioneered the world’s first virtual utility: a revolutionary platform that delivers clean, resilient, on-site power without waiting for utility interconnections. It’s a solution born from the frustrations of skyrocketing costs, regulatory bottlenecks, and a grid built for an analog past.

Key themes in this conversation include:

• The Grid’s Design Flaws: Why a system built 140 years ago can’t keep up with AI, robotics, EV charging, and modern power quality demands and how this misalignment drives hidden costs and inefficiencies for businesses and consumers alike.
• Virtual Utility Explained: How e2 Companies decouples facilities from grid constraints, enabling instant transitions between grid power and local generation without the dreaded “blip” that can shut down sensitive operations like data centers.
• Demand-Side Power as the Fix: Why focusing on power “delivery” behind the meter can unlock 25-35% more capacity from existing grid infrastructure, avoiding massive new transmission investments.
• Inequity in the Energy Transition: James exposes how corporate renewables, credit trading, and regulatory structures can unintentionally shift costs onto small businesses and everyday consumers, and why true energy freedom must be affordable for all.
• AI’s Double-Edged Sword: While AI workloads drive huge new power demands, James argues the technology could offset its footprint through massive efficiency gains across industries.
• The Corescale Deal and NASDAQ Plans: A look at how e2 Companies’ partnership with Corescale Data Centers positions the company at the forefront of transforming how hyperscalers think about reliability, emissions, and speed to market, with plans underway to list publicly under the ticker VUTL.

James makes a compelling case that the future of energy isn’t just about generation; it’s about giving every consumer, from data centers to small businesses to homeowners, the power to choose how they produce and consume energy. It’s a vision of independence, resilience, and a grid designed for a digital, electrified world.

If you’re grappling with interconnection delays, grid reliability challenges, or planning for the power demands of tomorrow, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

Links: 

James Richmond on LinkedIn

e2 Companies Website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this powerful episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Mats Larsson, founder of the Global Energy Transformation Institute, to explore why electrifying global transportation requires the kind of top-down coordination we saw in the Apollo program, not just market-driven innovation.

For over two decades, Larsson has been warning that electrification cannot succeed if treated as a patchwork. From the surge in power demand to the underestimated logistics of EV charging, he shares insights that reveal just how unprepared we are and what we must do differently.

Key Themes Explored

• Why electricity, not hydrogen or biofuels, is the only scalable transportation fuel
• The staggering scale of grid upgrades and generation needed to electrify all vehicles
• Lessons from the Apollo Program and Marshall Plan for managing national transformation
• The hidden risk of peak demand and underbuilt infrastructure at logistics hubs
• How electric roads and charging while driving could unlock massive efficiencies
• Why current policies fail to account for financial, organizational, and human capital realities

What You’ll Learn

• The overlooked financial and structural challenges in electrification strategy
• The difference between organic market evolution and orchestrated change
• Practical roadmaps for governments, municipalities, and utilities to lead effectively
• The future Mats Larsson hopes to see by 2045 and the legacy he’s building today

This episode is a must-listen for policymakers, utility leaders, EV manufacturers, and anyone serious about energy systems transformation. Mats doesn’t just diagnose the problem, he outlines a blueprint for success.

Links: 

Mats Larsson on LinkedIn

GET Institute

Latest Book: How Building the Future Really Works

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Daniel Dus, Founder & CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR) and a two-decade veteran of the solar sector, whose leadership spans over $1 billion in renewable energy projects across 23 states. Daniel is also the co-founder of Solar Fight Night, the solar industry’s most iconic, community-driven nonprofit fundraiser.

Now, with CIR, he’s building the first ever “development as a service” platform for clean energy, standardizing and commoditizing development workflows through radical software integration, global bandwidth, and real-time transparency. The goal? Cut project costs by up to 70%, slash timelines in half, and make gigawatts of clean infrastructure actually executable.

Wes and Daniel unpack:

• Why CIR is reimagining project execution from the ground up and how it's unlocking next level efficiency through AI, automation, and 24 hour global workflows
• The critical differences between CIR’s approach and traditional EPC or consulting models and how it’s changing how solar, storage, and EV infrastructure gets built
• How trade policy uncertainty is wreaking havoc on timelines and modeling and why investor trust in U.S. federal policy is on the line
• The real story behind Solar Fight Night—its Chatham House roots, cultural staying power, and why it's the “Met Gala” of the solar industry
• How transparency, access to IP, and CRM visibility became CIR’s strategic edge and what it reveals about broken norms in clean energy development
• Why “intermittency” is a myth, solar is the cheapest electron humanity has ever created, and AI will define the future of energy project delivery
• A deeply personal reflection on what legacy, entrepreneurship, and being on the right side of history really means in the fight for a clean energy future

If you’re a developer, financier, EPC, or innovator building the next chapter of clean energy, this episode will challenge your assumptions, reveal next gen strategies, and reignite your optimism.

Links:

Daniel Dus on LinkedIn

CIR's Website

CIR's Services

CIR - How it Works

Solar Fight Night

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Dr. Lu brings a rare blend of global energy leadership, operational discipline, and people-first strategy. With more than 25 years of experience in clean energy, he shares the playbook behind SolarBank’s rise from a private developer to a high-performing full-service renewable energy developer.

Listeners will take away practical insights into how real companies scale renewable infrastructure profitably and sustainably. Dr. Lu unpacks how SolarBank operates with utility-style precision, why every project must stand on its own financially, and how to build a team culture that performs under pressure.

This conversation is tailored for clean energy professionals who want to grow responsibly, lead with clarity, and build assets that last.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why SolarBank focuses on simplicity, speed, and repeatability
• The financial mindset that requires each project to make money on its own
• How to expand into new verticals like storage and EV charging without chasing distractions
• A proven hiring approach that prioritizes drive, resilience, and adaptability
• Lessons from scaling in regulated, cost-sensitive markets
• The future of electricity demand driven by AI and data centers
• How energy independence, tariffs, and reshoring are shaping North American clean energy

Dr. Lu’s leadership approach is grounded, focused, and refreshingly practical. His story is a reminder that execution, not hype, is what drives results in renewable energy.

Links:

• Dr Richard Lu on LinkedIn
• SolarBank's website 

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

This episode is a masterclass in asking better questions to drive smarter answers, covering everything from the future of EV infrastructure to the unsexy but essential work behind solar and battery breakthroughs. Jeff brings a rare blend of technical insight, manufacturing pragmatism, and strategic foresight as he breaks down what’s working, what’s misunderstood, and what’s next.

Key Topics Covered:

• Reframing range anxiety as refill anxiety. Why EV success hinges on infrastructure, not battery size
• The real timeline and impact of EV grid integration and why grid panic is overblown
• A refreshingly honest look at battery innovation: LFP, sodium-ion, solid-state, and why the incumbent tech isn’t standing still
• Where solar technology still has runway, from panel form factors to materials science breakthroughs
• The economics and geopolitics of U.S. manufacturing and supply chains. Is full reshoring a myth?
• Why policy carrots beat sticks, and how industrial strategy can empower, not protect innovation
• What the U.S. must do to stay competitive in clean tech and why more failure might be part of the answer

Whether you're a startup founder, policy maker, investor, engineer, or simply energy-curious, Jeff’s lens on electrification, innovation, and global competitiveness will shift how you think about the energy transition.

Links: 

Jeff Sullivan on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Constantin’s story is one of global perspective and forward-thinking leadership. From growing up during Germany’s renewable energy transformation to leading GOLDBECK SOLAR’s expansion across Canada and the U.S., his insights bridge European innovation with North American scale.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The holistic model that sets GOLDBECK SOLAR apart, integrating development, EPC, O&M, asset management, and energy optimization
• Why a full-lifecycle view is essential for long-term solar success
• Real-world projects like merchant solar in Alberta and complex landfill solar designs in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands
• How GOLDBECKS’s engineering precision and simulation tools optimize solar design for both performance and financial returns
• Key differences between European and North American solar markets, and what the U.S. and Canada can learn from Germany’s 25 years of renewables leadership
• The role of agrivoltaics, energy storage, and automation in the next phase of solar growth
• Why solar’s scalability, from kilowatts on rooftops to gigawatt-scale utility projects, makes it the most versatile and impactful energy source today

We also discuss:

• The true economics of solar, from CapEx disparities across regions to how LCOE levels the playing field
• Building a solar workforce in North America, from training and specialization to leveraging automation for safer, faster builds
• The importance of shifting mindsets: solar is no longer niche, it is essential infrastructure

Whether you are a solar developer, EPC, financier, policymaker, or simply passionate about clean energy, this episode offers deep insights into the forces shaping the future of solar across North America and beyond.

Links: 

• Constantin Lindenmeyer on LinkedIn
• GOLDBECK SOLAR

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, we sit down with Matt Horvath, General Manager at D-Com Electric and Co-Founder of Sun Cycle Farms, to explore one of the most innovative and misunderstood models in clean energy today: agrivoltaics.

Matt’s journey began in the trenches, starting as a first-year electrical apprentice, earning his Red Seal certification, and going on to design and lead solar projects across Southern Alberta, from 4kW home installs to 4MW utility-scale builds. What sets Matt apart is his dual perspective, equal parts electrician and farm kid. That background shaped a bold new vision: solar energy doesn’t have to compete with agriculture, it can complement it.

Matt co-founded Sun Cycle Farms to bring this vision to life through an ecosystem-based approach that integrates solar O&M, livestock, regenerative soil practices, and real-time control systems. This year they launched a demonstration farm that is testing cattle integration, smart fencing, real-time soil monitoring, and even carbon credit tracking through improved soil health.

In this episode, we unpack:

• The origin story behind Sun Cycle Farms and its community-first design
• How traditional lease models miss the mark and what a landowner-first approach looks like
• The risks of elevating solar panels for virtue without economics
• Why agrivoltaics isn’t “just sheep” and the case for cattle, chickens, and pigs
• How solar O&M and agriculture can be fused into a unified, tech-enabled model
• How carbon credits and regenerative land metrics could offset solar operating costs
• Lessons from Alberta’s “Ag First” mandate and navigating regulatory gray zones

Matt also challenges assumptions around energy development: why do landowners sign solar leases in the first place? What does that say about how we value land and food production? And how do we create win-win outcomes for rural communities, asset owners, and future generations?

This is not a story about compromise. It is about building a regenerative, integrated model for energy and agriculture that is built to last.

Whether you are a renewable energy developer, policy advisor, farmer, or investor in the clean energy transition, this episode will shift your perspective.

Links: 

Matt Horvath on LinkedIn
SunCycle Farms Blog
SunCycle Farms
D-Com Electric

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With nearly two decades of experience in the solar industry, Lee has held pivotal leadership roles at SolarCity, Tesla Energy, and Palmetto. From launching Clean Currents to scaling a 4,000-person operation at SolarCity, Lee has been at the center of solar's growth story. Today, through Civic Renewables, he is leading the next phase of innovation that blends national scale with local expertise.

This episode explores the key shifts in residential solar and how Civic is addressing the toughest challenges in operations, service, and scalability.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why the future of solar is both local and scalable
• How the service mindset is redefining residential solar success
• The challenges and opportunities of retrofitting aging solar systems
• What Civic's hybrid model means for installers, customers, and financiers
• How the industry can better train and retain a skilled, resilient workforce

Key Themes:

• Business model innovation in residential solar
• Importance of localized execution in clean energy
• Operational excellence and post-installation service
• Workforce development and hands-on training infrastructure
• Battery integration, O&M opportunities, and retrofit demand

Whether you work in residential solar, finance clean energy projects, or build distributed infrastructure, this episode delivers insight and strategy for the road ahead.

Links: 

Lee on LinkedIn
Civic Renewables
The Latest from Civic Renewables

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Since joining EVS in 2014, Sohan has helped grow the renewables team from zero to over 200 professionals, leading the design of more than 28 gigawatts of solar and 6 gigawatt-hours of energy storage across the U.S. In this conversation, we unpack the engineering, leadership, and cultural blueprints behind one of the most trusted firms in utility-scale renewables.

What We Cover in This Episode:

Engineering Lessons from the Frontlines

• Sohan dives deep into the technical challenges the industry still struggles with—from battery storage documentation issues with international vendors to balancing site grading and pile length. 
• He shares how EVS built its own Python-based tool to run 50–100 iterations for smarter grading/piling tradeoffs—delivering actionable value engineering insights at scale.

Inflection Points That Scaled a Business

• EVS’s transformation didn’t happen overnight. Sohan walks through key inflection points—like expanding into energy storage in 2017, adding substation and SCADA services, and weathering COVID-era market shifts by investing in people instead of downsizing. 

AI, Automation & the Future of Engineering

• From wire schedules to hydrology optimization, Sohan explains how EVS is integrating AI and automation—not to replace engineers, but to give them tools to do 10x the work with higher precision. 
• He shares how EVS is developing internal platforms and working with external partners to define what AI-assisted engineering should look like in practice.

Leadership, Mentorship & Culture at Scale

• Building a team is more than hiring; it’s about values. At EVS, that means humility, respect, integrity, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Sohan shares how they embed these into hiring, training, and operations—and how their internal “EVS Cares” foundation fuels community service and employee engagement.

Where the Market is Really Headed

• Forget the hype cycles—Sohan offers a grounded but optimistic take on where the U.S. and global renewables markets are headed. 
• From long-duration storage and green hydrogen to direct air capture and Energy Vault’s gravity systems, we explore which technologies deserve more attention—and what might scale next.

Who Should Listen:

• EPCs, developers, and asset owners in solar, storage, or transmission
• Engineers and designers looking to understand utility-scale best practices
• Sustainability leaders and executives scaling teams and tech
• Anyone navigating the “solar coaster” of clean energy market dynamics

Links:

• EVS Inc.
• Sohan on LinkedIn
• Previous episode on Energy Vault 
• Previous episode on Direct Air Capture (DACLAB)

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

KE isn’t just building renewable projects. They are redefining what it means to integrate power generation (solar, battery storage) with power consumption (data centers, industrials) — creating resilient, scalable energy ecosystems. Aaron shares how KE’s growth is fueled by partnerships, strategic market positioning, workforce innovation, and a forward-thinking culture that embraces technology, including AI.

Key topics we unpack:

• How electricity demand surges are turning the energy transition into a full-blown energy expansion.
• Why renewables plus storage are critical for the future—and how KE is preparing for it.
• The urgent need for workforce development and how KE’s apprenticeship and K-12 engagement programs are setting new industry standards.
• Why KE’s cross-sector model (generation + consumption) offers a major competitive edge.
• How partnerships over transactions are key to scaling clean energy faster and smarter.
• Bold predictions about microgrids, data centers, and how the next decade of renewables will unfold.

Aaron also shares career advice for the next generation of energy professionals, highlighting how opportunity, leadership, and continuous learning shaped his rise from field engineer to senior executive.

If you're building, investing, or working in renewable energy—or thinking about joining—this episode offers a candid, strategic view from one of the industry's sharpest operators.

🎧 Listen now to discover:

• What it really takes to scale renewable infrastructure in today’s environment.
• How KE empowers frontline innovation—and why it matters.
• Why energy partnerships, workforce investments, and technology adoption are no longer optional—they’re mission-critical.

About the Guest: Aaron Pyfferoen is Vice President of Strategy, Renewable Energy at Knobelsdorff Enterprises. With two decades in renewable energy leadership, including senior roles at KE and Blattner Energy, he’s been directly involved in over 12 gigawatts of construction and procurement projects.

About KE: Knobelsdorff Enterprises (KE) is a premier design-build contractor delivering integrated energy solutions across utility-scale solar, battery energy storage, industrial electrical systems, automation, and critical power services. KE is redefining resilience and scalability across renewable generation and energy consumption sectors.

Links:

Aaron on LinkedIn
KE's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

EticaAG’s immersion-cooled, non-flammable lithium battery technology borrows from 100+ years of transformer design to deliver safe, scalable, and efficient energy storage solutions. It's not just innovation—it’s reinvention with real-world roots.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The origin story of EticaAG—a transpacific joint venture born from one pivotal conversation
• How dielectric oil and immersion cooling make thermal runaway a non-event
• Why this tech thrives in high-risk environments
• The trade-offs of safety vs. energy density, and why context is everything
• How U.S.-based battery manufacturing in Pennsylvania is fueling economic growth and supply chain resilience

What’s Next for Storage?

Matt doesn’t shy away from the big questions. From decentralizing the grid with microgrids, to supporting AI and EV-driven demand spikes, to future-proofing with fusion and long-duration storage—he paints a vision where energy isn’t just transitioning—it’s expanding.

He shares bold perspectives on:

• The misconceptions about battery safety
• Scaling challenges and the promise of standardization
• How tariffs, trade, and technology are converging in a volatile yet opportunistic moment

Leadership & Lessons:

From his startup mentality to embracing persistence and curiosity, Matt unpacks:

• The cultural shift needed to move fast in a slow-moving industry
• Why listening to customers beats pushing products
• His advice for newcomers: “Educate yourself, reach out, and don’t give up.”

Key Takeaways:

• Energy storage isn't optional—it's the backbone of electrification, resilience, and grid modernization.
• Safety will define the next wave of innovation, and EticaAG is leading the charge.
• We must support utilities, standardize interconnections, and invest in resilient infrastructure.

Whether you're deep in the clean energy space or just curious about how batteries power everything from data centers to Mars dreams, this episode delivers sharp insights and real-world solutions from one of the sector’s most forward-looking leaders.

Links: 

• Matt Ward on LinkedIn
• EticaAG's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Bravo Infrastructure Group fully owns Sunshine Solar and Radiance Solar — two fast-scaling companies focused on distributed generation solar EPC services across the U.S. Steve’s journey, from founding a $3 billion public midstream oil and gas company to spearheading the energy transition, offers rare insight into the crossover between traditional and renewable energy sectors.

Tune in to hear Steve’s take on:

• Why solar is “the hardest thing he’s ever built” — and what it takes to succeed in today’s volatile environment
• How workforce challenges, supply chain volatility, and regulatory delays are reshaping solar execution
• What solar EPCs can learn from the oil and gas playbook — especially when it comes to partnerships, planning, and scale
• Why batteries are the next evolution of solar — and how storage will unlock baseload renewables
• A candid look at the real bottlenecks in interconnection and how to future-proof grid expansion
• The real reasons behind the skilled labor shortage in renewables — and how Bravo is investing in its people
• Why Steve believes the next decade will be driven by market demand, not just policy or incentives
• His advice for startup founders looking to raise capital and scale in a fast-changing energy landscape

Steve also shares why the energy industry must evolve beyond politicization, why we need to move past ITCs eventually, and why long-term planning and collaboration are the keys to unlocking the next era of clean energy growth.

If you're an energy executive, solar developer, investor, founder — or simply passionate about renewable energy or cleantech — this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 

📌 Learn how Bravo Infrastructure Group is scaling smarter
📌 Discover actionable insights from one of the few leaders who’s thrived in both fossil fuels and renewables
📌 Understand the industry from both a policy and boots-on-the-ground perspective

Links: 

Steve Newby on LinkedIn
Bravo Infrastructure Group
Radiance Solar

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Inside FTC Solar’s Tracker Tech Evolution
Yann explains how FTC Solar’s tracker systems are optimizing utility-scale solar projects by increasing energy yield, improving installation speed, enhancing safety, and reducing labor costs.  He highlights the shift from 2P to 1P trackers and how FTC’s new “Pioneer” tracker is built for easier, faster, and safer installation — with forward-looking features designed to support AI integration, robotics, and smarter software tools. 

Tariffs, Trade Policy & Market Volatility
From 201 to 301 tariffs and global supply chain hurdles, Yann tackles the impact of unpredictable trade policies on long-term project planning and investment. He shares why uncertainty — not just the policy itself — is the real threat to solar progress, and how FTC is navigating the complexity with domestic manufacturing and smart scenario planning.

The IRA Debate: Beyond the Headlines
Yann demystifies the real stakes behind the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and why its solar tax credits and domestic content incentives are crucial to America’s energy transition. He breaks down the political risks to the IRA’s longevity and what renewable energy professionals must understand about “being in the room” when policy decisions are made.

Solar as a Capital Deployment Business
Shifting the mindset from tech to finance, Yann argues that the solar sector isn’t just about innovation — it’s about capital deployment. With billions being invested in solar infrastructure and AI-driven data centers, he urges companies to understand their place in the value chain and how they can drive ROI for energy investors.

Marketing, Mentorship & Leadership in Solar
Yann shares candid thoughts on the industry's marketing blind spots and the urgent need for better leadership development. He explains how mentorship, asking the right questions, and getting young professionals into the right rooms are essential to the long-term health of the clean energy workforce.

A Call to Action for Policy Engagement
A SEIA executive committee member, Yann stresses that policy is not a spectator sport. He calls on the solar industry — from installers to CEOs — to engage in political advocacy, contribute to PACs, and help shape a policy landscape that supports scalable solar growth.

💡 Key Topics Covered:

• FTC Solar’s product evolution and competitive edge
• Challenges of trade policy and tariffs in solar
• IRA tax credits and political risk
• Capital dynamics of the solar industry
• Marketing missteps and how to fix them
• The mentorship gap in clean energy leadership
• Advocacy, policy, and solar’s political future

🔗 Learn more about FTC Solar: https://www.ftcsolar.com/
Yann Brandt on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

As electrification accelerates and infrastructure lags behind, Brian gives a candid look at what it really takes to scale EV charging projects, integrate microgrids, and navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory and utility landscape. Drawing from nearly two decades of experience building wind, solar, battery storage, and now EV infrastructure, Brian shares how Mortenson is helping companies avoid costly mistakes—and future-proof their electrification strategies.

From EV fleet hubs to public transit projects and data center power solutions, this episode dives into the complexity of building what’s next.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why so many EV infrastructure projects go over budget—and how to avoid the “oh no” moment
• How Mortenson’s dual expertise in commercial buildings and energy is a game-changer
• Real-world strategies to design smarter, cut CapEx, and still deliver on grant and permitting requirements
• Why early engagement with EPCs, permitting agencies, and designers is essential
• The underestimated impact of poor site planning, oversized specs, and bad sequencing
• How microgrids and battery storage are closing the gap on grid limitations
• The role of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and AI in the future of EV and energy systems
• How to think long-term—without overspending upfront—on scalable EV charging infrastructure

Brian also breaks down lessons from a 20-phase EV project at a live transit site in Washington, D.C., how Mortenson helps clients design for megawatt charging systems (MCS), and why the next big shift in infrastructure will be led by data centers building their own microgrids.

Whether you’re developing an EV project, planning for fleet electrification, navigating utility delays, or just looking to stay ahead of the curve, this conversation is packed with battle-tested insights for the future of electrified infrastructure.

Key Topics:

• EV charging infrastructure strategy
• Preconstruction planning & permitting
• Microgrids for resilience and reliability
• Grid constraints & utility interconnection
• Fleet electrification & phased construction
• V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) technology
• Battery storage integration
• IRA compliance and labor standards
• Data center energy demand & AI impact

About Brian Abeld:
As Vice President and General Manager of EV and Microgrid Infrastructure at Mortenson, Brian leads strategy and execution across some of the most advanced electrification and clean energy projects in North America. His career spans nearly 20 years and includes leadership across wind, solar, battery storage, and power delivery.

About Mortenson:
Mortenson is a top-ranked builder and developer in renewable energy, with expertise in wind, solar, storage, data centers, and EV infrastructure. Their integrated approach to construction, engineering, and project delivery is helping reshape how America powers its future.

Learn more at www.mortenson.com
Brian Abeld on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

From leading one of Canada’s largest energy companies to now building a powerful tech platform for consumers and businesses, Mark brings rare insight across the full energy value chain. His company, Jotson, is simplifying energy data, empowering users to optimize consumption, reduce costs, and lower emissions—all through actionable intelligence. 

Key topics covered in this episode include:

• The Energy Blind Spot: Why most consumers—and even policymakers—have no idea how much energy they use or how it’s priced
• Inside Jotson: How Mark’s new platform converts confusing, fragmented utility data into clear, comparable insights
• From Oil Sands to Fusion: Mark’s journey from fossil fuels to renewables and why he believes fusion energy is the game-changer we've been waiting for
• Energy Literacy and Empowerment: How knowing your numbers can lead to 5–15% cost savings—and why Mark himself cut his usage by nearly 40%
• The Case for Fusion: A look into General Fusion, the science behind fusion energy, and why it’s fundamentally safer and more scalable than today’s nuclear
• Energy Myths Debunked: Thoughts on hydrogen, grid expansion, renewables, and why we’re not in an energy "transition"—but an energy expansion
• Policy & Pragmatism: Why global climate efforts need to focus on impact, not politics—and what smarter carbon strategies could look like
• Advice for Energy Entrepreneurs: Lessons from scaling big energy operations to building a startup with real-world traction

Mark also shares his thoughts on what it means to truly innovate in energy, why science and practicality must drive climate solutions, and how we need all energy forms working together to meet rising global demand.

If you’re in renewable energy, clean tech, policy, or just curious about the next wave of innovation shaping the energy landscape—this is a must-listen conversation 

🔗 Learn more about Jotson
🔗 Learn more about General Fusion
📩 Connect with Mark Little on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

With the global surge in electricity consumption, particularly from AI-driven data centers and industrial decarbonization efforts, energy storage is more critical than ever. Energy Vault is pioneering long-duration, cost-effective, and sustainable storage solutions to ensure renewable energy can reliably power the grid.

Tune in as Rob shares:

✅ His career journey from telecom and healthcare to leading a renewable energy storage company
✅ How gravity storage technology works and why it's a scalable alternative to pumped hydro
✅ The challenges and breakthroughs in deploying large-scale energy storage projects worldwide
✅ How Energy Vault is tackling AI-driven electricity demand and grid reliability
✅ Why long-duration storage is lagging behind expectations—and what needs to happen next
✅ How their partnership with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) is integrating storage directly into sustainable architecture
✅ The importance of hybrid energy storage solutions for utilities, industrials, and critical infrastructure

Key Takeaways:

• Gravity Storage vs. Traditional Methods – Why Energy Vault’s gravity-based technology is a sustainable alternative to pumped hydro, with no reliance on concrete or rare earth metals.
• Scaling Clean Energy Storage Globally – From California to China to Australia, Energy Vault is executing large-scale projects that address surging power demand and decarbonization goals.
• Building-Integrated Energy Storage – Their partnership with SOM is developing a new generation of buildings with built-in gravity storage, making structures net energy-positive.
• The Growing Power Demand Crisis – AI, cloud computing, and industrial power needs are putting unprecedented pressure on the grid. Energy storage is the key to balancing supply and demand.
• Flexible Storage Solutions – Why utilities, independent power producers, and industrials require customized energy storage to meet short, long, and ultra-long duration needs.

Episode Links & Resources:
Energy Vault - EVu video
Calistoga Project Video
Energy Vault - EVy Video
Energy Vault's website
The Energy Vault Way
Rob Piconi on LinkedIn

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Aditya shares his unconventional journey from biomedical and chemical engineering to leading a carbon capture company, the breakthrough technology DACLab has developed, and how their "Decoupled Process Version 3" is setting new industry standards. He also dives into common misconceptions about DAC, why location is key for scaling, and how oil and gas companies can leverage DAC as part of their energy transition strategy.

Throughout the conversation, Aditya provides real-world insights on the business model behind DACLab, why they focus on R&D and manufacturing rather than project development, and how direct air capture can act as a bridge to a net-zero future. Plus, he shares his bold vision for the industry, predictions for the next 10 years of carbon removal, and the critical role that geothermal energy and waste heat sources play in making DAC economically viable.

Whether you’re a clean energy executive, investor, policymaker, or just passionate about climate tech, this episode is packed with practical insights on the future of carbon removal, energy policy, and commercialization strategies for emerging clean technologies.

Topics Covered in This Episode:
✔️ How direct air capture (DAC) works in simple terms
✔️ The biggest misconceptions about DAC (greenwashing, energy use, scalability)
✔️ How DAC can be an economic opportunity, not just a climate necessity
✔️ Why DAC should be treated as a waste management problem
✔️ The role of geothermal energy and waste heat in making DAC cost-effective
✔️ How oil & gas companies can leverage DAC in their transition to renewables
✔️ Why DACLab focuses on R&D and manufacturing instead of project development
✔️ The future of DAC: Scaling from pilot plants to 10 million metric tons by 2035
✔️ What the Department of Energy’s policy shifts could mean for carbon capture
✔️ The industries set to benefit the most from DAC technology (aviation, concrete, sequestration)

💡 Key Takeaway:
Direct air capture is not a silver bullet, but it’s a critical piece of the net-zero puzzle. It must be developed alongside renewable energy to provide real, scalable solutions for decarbonization.

🔗 Learn More About DACLab: www.daclab.us
Aditya Bhandari on LinkedIn

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Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Kristina dives into the challenges and opportunities of large-scale renewable development in Alberta, the critical role of private investment, and how Korkia has grown into one of the province’s leading renewable energy developers in just four years. She also shares the “Farming the Sun” mindset, an eye-opening perspective on land use, sustainability, and the future of energy in North America.

Key Topics Discussed:
✅ From Oil & Gas to Renewables – Kristina’s unique career path and why she transitioned into clean energy investment.
✅ Private Capital in Renewable Energy – Why Alberta’s renewables boom is not driven by government subsidies.
✅ Regulatory Uncertainty & Risk Management – The biggest challenges in Alberta’s energy sector and how investors can mitigate risk.
✅ Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) & Project Financing – Why securing contracts is harder than ever and what that means for development.
✅ Balancing Land Use & Clean Energy – How farmers and landowners can benefit from renewable projects while preserving agricultural heritage.
✅ Future Investment Trends – Why energy storage is the next big opportunity in Alberta and beyond.

Why Listen?
If you're an investor, developer, policymaker, or renewable energy enthusiast, this episode provides deep insights into the real-world challenges of financing and scaling renewable energy projects. Kristina’s hands-on approach to investment and development makes this a must-listen for anyone navigating the clean energy landscape.

Links:
Kristina Sweet on LinkedIn
Korkia's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Jason Burwen, VP of Policy & Strategy at GridStor, to explore the rapid growth of battery storage, the policies driving its expansion, and the challenges ahead.

Jason, a key figure in shaping U.S. energy storage policy, shares how FERC Order 841, the Investment Tax Credit for storage, and evolving market designs have transformed the industry. With a decade of experience at the American Clean Power Association and the U.S. Energy Storage Association, he’s been on the front lines of advocacy, market development, and regulation.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

✅ How Energy Storage Went from Niche to Essential – Jason walks through the explosive growth of battery storage from 300 megawatts in 2015 to over 10 gigawatts in 2024.

✅ The Role of Energy Storage in a Renewable Grid – Why batteries aren’t just about storing solar & wind energy, but also providing flexibility, grid stability, and reliability.

✅ Wholesale Market Design & Energy Storage Economics – How states like California and Texas have led the way in storage adoption, with vastly different policy approaches.

✅ Biggest Challenges in Scaling Storage – From interconnection delays to regulatory hurdles, what’s slowing down new deployments?

✅ Battery Storage & Carbon Emissions – Fact or Fiction? – Jason debunks the claim that batteries increase emissions and explains why energy storage is crucial for deep decarbonization.

✅ Future Storage Technologies & Market Trends – Will sodium-ion, iron-air, and long-duration batteries become viable competitors to lithium-ion?

✅ Lessons for Policymakers & Industry Leaders – Why energy storage needs stronger regulatory support, and how stakeholders can collaborate to accelerate the clean energy transition.

"Battery storage has moved from the kids’ table to the adults’ table. Now, we’re solving the challenges of success." – Jason Burwen

This is a must-listen for renewable energy professionals, policymakers, and investors looking to understand where energy storage is headed and how it will shape the grid of the future.

Links: 

Jason Burwen on LinkedIn
GridStor

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Michael’s career journey—from his time at the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Edison Electric Institute to his founding of Scout Clean Energy—offers a fascinating look at how private capital, policy evolution, and technology shifts are accelerating the clean energy transition. He shares his insights on wind repowering, hybrid renewables, interconnection challenges, and the booming demand for clean energy from corporations and data centers.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 Michael’s journey into renewables – How a passion for climate change and global energy policy led him to entrepreneurship.
🔹 The rise of hybrid energy projects – Why wind, solar, and battery storage together provide the most effective solutions for today’s energy buyers.
🔹 Repowering wind farms – How Scout is replacing 1980s-era wind farms with modern turbines that generate nearly 10x the output.
🔹 Breaking new ground in Arkansas – What it takes to build the first major wind project in a historically solar-heavy market.
🔹 Overcoming grid and interconnection challenges – Why the U.S. grid must evolve to support the next generation of renewable projects.
🔹 The economics of renewables – How wind and solar are now the fastest and most cost-effective energy sources on the grid.
🔹 Scaling a clean energy company – Lessons from growing Scout from a startup to 200+ employees while navigating a rapidly changing industry.
🔹 Corporate demand for renewables – How data centers, tech giants, and utilities are driving the next wave of clean energy investment.

Scout Clean Energy’s Vision: Innovation & Grid Transformation

Scout Clean Energy is pioneering new ways to integrate wind, solar, and storage to meet the growing demand for 24/7 clean power. With the backing of Brookfield Renewable’s $15B Global Transition Fund, the company is scaling rapidly to deliver low-cost, high-efficiency renewable energy across the U.S.

Michael also discusses why grid congestion, permitting delays, and market shifts are among the biggest hurdles facing developers today—and what must change to unlock the full potential of the energy transition.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Hybrid projects combining wind, solar, and storage are the future of clean energy.
✅ Interconnection bottlenecks are one of the biggest challenges slowing down renewables.
✅ Corporate buyers and data centers are rapidly increasing demand for 24/7 clean power.
✅ Wind repowering projects can deliver nearly 10x the energy output using modern turbines.
✅ Scaling a renewable energy company requires balancing capital investment, policy shifts, and talent development.

Links:

• Michael Rucker on LinkedIn
• Scout Clean Energy's website

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

As the only female CEO of a privately held, utility-scale renewable energy consulting firm, Kimberlee is on a mission to increase diversity, create leadership pathways, and remove barriers for women in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her journey—from overcoming industry challenges to founding one of the most trusted consulting firms in clean energy—is a masterclass in resilience, leadership, and innovation.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Kimberlee’s journey – How an early connection to science, a leap of faith, and mentorship from key industry figures led her to build TerraPro Solutions.
• Risk in renewable energy development – The biggest challenges facing solar and wind developers and why time, collaboration, and proactive planning are critical for success.
• Legal complexities and risk mitigation – How mineral rights disputes, title issues, and regulatory hurdles can threaten projects—and the strategies Kimberlee’s team uses to solve them.
• Industry challenges and innovations – Kimberlee’s take on the future of AI in renewables, the evolving policy landscape, and what’s next for utility-scale clean energy projects.
• Empowering women in cleantech – Kimberlee shares her approach to mentorship, leadership development, and building a company culture where women thrive.
• Lessons in leadership – The importance of collaboration, resilience, and intentional leadership in driving success for individuals and organizations alike.
• The power of relationships – How trust, transparency, and industry connections can make or break a renewable energy project—and why Kimberlee believes relationships are the key to long-term success.

Kimberlee’s Mission: Mentoring & Elevating Women in Energy

Kimberlee is committed to fostering the next generation of female leaders in renewable energy. From mentoring women in India, Brazil, and the U.S. to building an inclusive culture at TerraPro Solutions, she works to increase representation, create leadership opportunities, and ensure women’s voices are heard at the highest levels.

She believes asking for help, seeking mentorship, and building a strong network are key to success. In this episode, she shares actionable advice for women entering or advancing in renewable energy and her vision for a more diverse, inclusive, and thriving industry.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Proactive risk management is essential for large-scale renewable energy projects.
✅ Developers often underestimate the importance of stakeholder collaboration, which can cost time and money.
✅ AI and automation are set to transform how projects are developed and financed.
✅ Mentorship and leadership development are key to building a strong, diverse workforce in clean energy.
✅ Women bring unique strengths to the renewable energy sector, including collaborative problem-solving and innovation.

Links:
Kimberlee on LinkedIn
TerraPro Solutions

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Key Highlights:

• The Origin Story – How Vishal and his co-founder turned a back-of-the-napkin idea into Canada’s leading rooftop racking company before expanding across North America and beyond.
• Adapting to Market Shifts – The 2017 Ontario solar policy shift forced Polar Racking to pivot, leading to groundbreaking expansion into the U.S., the Caribbean, and now Asia and the Middle East.
• What Sets Polar Racking Apart – A relentless focus on quality, durability, and engineering solutions designed for extreme climates, including frost-resistant foundations and wind-resistant structures.
• Real-World Resilience – How Polar Racking’s designs withstood Hurricane Fiona while competing systems failed, proving the importance of robust solar infrastructure.
• The Rise of Agrivoltaics – How dual-use solar is shaping the future of renewable energy by integrating solar power with agriculture, benefiting both landowners and energy developers.
• Global Expansion & Future Outlook – Insights from Vishal’s visits to India, Saudi Arabia, and China, where the solar industry is booming at an unprecedented scale.
• Lessons in Leadership – Vishal shares the hard-earned insights from 16+ years leading a company that has survived and thrived through industry shifts, policy changes, and global expansion.

Takeaway Quote:
"The reality is, solar has to last 25, 35, even 40 years. If we compromise on quality today, someone else will inherit the issues later—and that’s not how we do business."

Links:

• Polar Racking Website – Learn more about their innovative racking solutions.
• Polar Racking Agrivoltaics – Explore their dual-use solar technology.
• Vishal Lala on LinkedIn

Tune in to hear how Polar Racking is building solar solutions for the toughest terrains, why agrivoltaics is a game-changer, and what’s next for the industry.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone passionate about the future of solar energy. Together, let’s drive the renewable revolution forward!

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/

Key Highlights:

• Vast Energy’s Vision: Learn how Vast Energy is transforming sunshine into dispatchable power and green fuels, addressing critical challenges in energy storage and grid reliability.
• Solar Thermal 101: Craig breaks down the fundamentals of concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) and its advantages over traditional photovoltaics (PV), including cost-effectiveness for long-duration storage and industrial heat applications.
• Breakthrough Projects: Discover Vast’s flagship projects in Port Augusta, South Australia, including a utility-scale power plant and a green methanol production facility, both showcasing the scalability and efficiency of their modular CSP technology.
• Global Impact: Craig shares insights into Vast’s U.S. expansion, starting with a major project in West Texas, and how CSP can power data centers, industrial processes, and green fuel production in sunny regions worldwide.
• Economic and Environmental Benefits: From reducing the cost of e-fuels by up to 40% to decarbonizing manufacturing with green steam, Vast’s solutions pave the way for sustainable and economically viable energy alternatives.
• Future Outlook: Hear Craig’s optimistic vision for CSP’s role in the global energy transition, emphasizing the importance of innovation, scalability, and strategic partnerships.

Craig also shares behind-the-scenes details about Vast’s collaboration with the Australian and German governments, their partnership with EDF, and the pivotal role of government funding in advancing cutting-edge technologies.

Takeaway Quote:
"Once we've got what we need to get done in Port Augusta, the opportunity for solar thermal to scale and drive global decarbonization is massive."

Links:

• Craig Wood on LinkedIn
• Vast Energy’s Website
• Explore Vast’s Technology and Projects

Tune in to discover how Vast Energy is shaping a cleaner, sustainable energy future, one innovative solution at a time. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your network. Together, let’s power the renewable energy revolution!

Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/

• Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com
• https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/
• https://leegroupsearch.com/