
Power Flow
The energy revolution is coming, and it's all hands on deck. Amplifying the expertise of the leaders in the new energy economy and inviting diverse voices to the table, we'll talk solar power, battery storage and battery alternatives, microgrids, renewable energy, distributed energy architectures, energy policy, energy equity, and all things energy. I'm your host, Amy Simpkins, renewable energy CEO (and Rocket Scientist) and I am passionate about creating sustainable change. I believe that access to electricity is no longer a luxury -- it's a human right. I'm driven by the desire to leave this world better than I found it. I believe in the power of collaboration -- that innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. And innovation is the only way our planet will survive. Recent natural disaster events impacting access to power, like the Texas Power Crisis during the winter storms of 2021 or the raging California wildfires of 2018-2020, combined with concern over anticipated future events, like a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in Oregon, have elevated conversations about resilience, independence, and sustainability to new, more urgent heights. If we are truly going to meet the challenges to the energy revolution and to achieve these ideals, we need to bring all minds to the whiteboard. That’s why Power Flow Podcast was born. I've always worked in male-dominated environments. Yet, the more I engage with women, the more I witness very different approaches to innovation, problem solving, and solution implementation. We possess a treasure trove in untapped riches of expertise from female, non-binary, and BIPOC professionals, all relentlessly working to make this new energy future a reality, yet too often unseen and unheard. What does that future look like? Solving the challenges we face in the energy industry can solve intersectional problems for Earth and its residents. A shift from fossil fuels to renewables not only increases sustainability -- an important component of slowing and reversing climate change -- it will also reduce pollution near low-income or racially diverse neighborhoods. A shift to distributed energy improves community resilience through microgrids and minigrids. Community resilience and distributed energy lead to energy equity - ensuring access to clean, reliable energy for all. I began my career in aerospace - yes, as an actual rocket scientist - believing that technical and scientific advancement through the exploration of space would be the ultimate way to change the world. After 10 years of designing, modeling, integrating, and flying spacecraft, I began looking for ways to have a more direct and powerful impact. When I co-founded renewable energy startup muGrid Analytics with my partner, it used all of my gifts and skills from my entire career to do good in the world. The thing is, I see the world as a set of linkages. I can see how everything is connected in a complex web of synergy and interdependence. The further I explored the energy economy, the more I could see its far-reaching impacts for individuals, for the people, for the planet. Join me in a deep dive exploring the solutions clean energy can offer to our earth as we bring more voices to the microphone and more minds to the whiteboard, shining a spotlight on new ideas and perspectives, tapping into the vast expertise and intersectional thinking that's already here. As we thoughtfully consider the tremendous challenges of the energy revolution, we can collaborate to achieve sustainability, equity, and resilience. It’s time to amplify new ideas that can help us innovate more efficiently, with better outcomes, harmonizing the threads of collaboration so we can build the future together. Find us at http://powerflowpodcast.com
Episodes
40 episodes
3.11 On Offshore Wind & Building Coalitions of Local Support with Nadia Adam and Elina Khutoryansky
In this episode, Nadia, Elina, and Amy discuss the new landscape of offshore wind in America and how this holistic solution is providing revitalization to American manufacturing, in addition to the importance of engagement with the local commun...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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46:27

3.12 Season 3 Wrap Up with Amy Simpkins
Join Amy Simpkins for a “state of the [renewable energy] union” in 2023-2024, her predictions for 2025, reflections on innovation theory and the importance of creative rest for the entrepreneurial (and life!) journey, and a summary of Power Flo...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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44:54

3.10 On Obliterating Entrepreneurial Underprivilege with Holistic Innovation Support with Deepa Lounsbury
In this episode, Deepa and Amy discuss ways to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in climate tech and “making the umbrella bigger for who gets to be a climate entrepreneur,” along with the reality and challenges in the entrepreneurial space...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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42:22

3.09 On Breaking Knowledge Silos with Continuing Education with Esther Morales
In this episode, Esther and Amy discuss innovation, continuous learning, and the courage to bring your ideas out into reality.Quotes“Energy education is a fundamental building block of participation.” – Esther Moral...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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42:43

3.08 On the Viability of Commercial Energy Storage and the Art of System Architecture with Diane Dandeneau
In this episode, Amy and Diane discuss the past and present landscape of opportunities in solar, along with the viability of commercial energy storage and the art of architecture in renewable energy projects.“It is hard to do this, but ...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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42:26

3.07 On Holistic Sustainability and Solar Packaging with Vanessa Benkert
In this episode, Vanessa Benkert shares her passion for working in the renewable energy field, the power of storytelling and innovation, and an overlooked, yet important piece of the solar puzzle: transporting solar panels with reusable packagi...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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41:38

3.06 On Streamlining Technology Deployment in the Field with Sierra Fan
In this episode, Sierra Fan describes co-founding illu to better support technicians in the renewable energy field. She says, “It really came from personal experience… we tried to look for the software. We thought someone must have built someth...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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39:59

3.05 On Unlocking the Barriers to Accessible Solar Solutions with Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt
In this episode, Erika Ginsberg-Klemmt shares her family’s journey to creating Gismo Power, her joy in driving EVs and traveling the seven seas, as well as her drive to make solar solutions more accessible to everyone.Quotes<...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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37:01

3.04 On the Push for Long Duration Energy Storage with Julia Souder
In this episode, Julia Souder shares her passion for Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) and shares her ideas on how global organizations can work together to make it more widespread as an extremely resilient energy solution.Quotes
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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35:16

3.03 On Delivering Financial Returns for Energy Storage and Microgrids with Amy Simpkins featuring Laura Novak
In this episode, Laura and Amy discuss the energy storage and microgrid landscape, with a peek behind the curtain as Amy Simpkins finally answers her own questions as CEO of muGrid Analytics and microgrid architect.Fresh from the RE+ 202...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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57:04

3.02 On the Sustainable Future of Lithium with Ali Haji
In this episode, Amy and Ali discuss lithium mining and how it affects the clean energy future.Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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41:27

3.01 On the SPI/RE+ Legacy with Julia Hamm - Live from RE+ 2022
On this episode’s one year anniversary, we are sharing for the first time our recording from the LIVE episode with Julia Hamm on her last days as the founder of Solar Power International (now RE+) and President and CEO of SEPA. This episode...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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34:12

2.13 On Disaster Mitigation and Recovery with Jennifer Gray Thompson
Jennifer Gray Thompson is a lifelong resident of Sonoma Valley in Northern California. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and graduated from Dominican University in 2001 with degrees in English and History. After teaching high school for 10...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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47:11

2.12 On Planning For Community-Centered Resilience with Jordana Vasquez
Trained as an architect, Jordana is passionate about socially-driven multidisciplinary projects that advance climate resilience and social justice. Currently, she is the Manager for Climate Resilience & Equity at
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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48:00

2.11 On Fueling the Energy Revolution Through Startups with Claire Broido Johnson
A senior operations and finance executive, Claire Broido Johnson is the director of the University System of Maryland Momentum Fund. (MMF). She has a proven track record in creating and managing successful businesses and driving operations: inc...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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50:29

2.10 On the EV Battery Lifecycle - From Chemistry to Infrastructure with Dr. Veronika Wright
Dr. Veronika Wright is an electrification enthusiast, consultant, and author. She holds a PhD in Technical Physics from the Graz University of Technology in Austria and gained extensive industry experience in batteries and electrification...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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55:28

2.09 On Innovation in Shared Mobility & Public Transit with Linda Khamoushian
Linda Khamoushian is a Los Angeles native, and a graduate of UC Berkeley and UCLA. She holds a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She currently serves as the Director of Shared Mobility at GRI...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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50:15

2.08 On Inspiring the Next-Gen Clean Energy Workforce with Chaun MacQueen
Chaun MacQueen oversees CE - Clean Energy. Bright Futures., a clean energy and career-connected education program at the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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49:09

2.07 On Turning Energy Data into Actionable Information with Elizabeth Sendich
Elizabeth Sendich is Lead Economic Modeler with the Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Macroeconomic and Emissions Team with the Office of Integrated & International Energy Analysis, and delights in...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:03:02

2.06 On Architecting the Clean Energy Future through Collaboration with Amy Simpkins featuring Laura Novak
For this 20th Power Flow episode, we flip the script - Power Flow Creative Director, Laura Novak, interviews our erstwhile host, Amy Simpkins, putting her on the hot seat and giving her a dose of her own tough questions. As co-founder a...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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1:00:26

2.05 On Solar Reuse for Low Income Communities & a Whole-Life Approach with Maria Agazio
Maria Agazio is a sustainability and renewable energy professional who serves the rocky mountain region. She is the Co-founder of Equitable Solar Solutions(TM), a nonprofit program that reall...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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48:57

2.04 On Gaps in Data Access & Balancing Complexity with Nancy LaPlaca
Nancy LaPlaca, J.D., is a regulatory policy consultant who has worked at the cutting edge of regulatory policies that affect clean energy. In 2006, Nancy challenged the permit for a so-called “clean” coal plant with carbon capture and sequestra...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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59:33

2.03 On Intentionality & Intersections in Energy with Melanie Santiago-Mosier
Melanie Santiago-Mosier is an award-winning energy expert and thought leader, implementing a vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in and through clean energy. She is the Deputy Director for Clean Energy Group &...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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47:48

2.02 On Market Parity for Solar & an Expansive Future with Darryl Parker
An experienced and highly motivated business leader, Darryl Parker’s work in 57 countries makes him a leader in driving innovation across global, matrixed organizations and developing and executing strategies for complex organizations. He bring...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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52:33

2.01 On Equity & Shaping Human Behavior with Puja Vohra
Puja Vohra is the Director of Business Strategy at Slipstream, where she focuses on leading the expansion of Slipstream's clean energy programs and services in the Northeast. Puja has twenty years experience in energy efficiency and sustainabil...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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51:14
