Power Flow

About 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

Publisher

Amy Simpkins

Category

education · science · technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jul 2021

Latest episode

2 Jul 2024

Latest episodes

3 of 40 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   2 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT

   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 Flow’s stunning Season 3 guests. To consider this summer: How do we give ourselves mental and creative rest as professional adults in an extremely fast-paced industry? Quotes (all by Amy Simpkins) “Innovation is not just a cyclical process, but an iterative one.” “The federal funding and the visibility that it has given to #CleanTech and the visibility it has given to projects for underserved communities has been huge and was possibly the biggest news of the year.” “Collaborative innovation only happens when we get out of our hidey holes and we join together in community.” “In the technology world, we’re definitely seeing energy storage coming into its own, maybe for the first time.” About Amy As co-founder and CEO at muGrid Analytics, Amy Simpkins solves wicked problems at the intersection of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. muGrid provides bankable techno-economic analysis, optimized control, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrids to maximize economic return, increase energy resilience, and promote energy equity in the US and around the world. Amy is also an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and iterative development for entrepreneurs. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and host of the Power Flow Podcast, which amplifies diverse voices in the energy revolution. Prior to muGrid, Amy designed and operated spacecraft as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin. Her technical expertise includes system and software architecture, system-level performance modeling, and design tradespace analysis. Amy holds an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a messy chef, a world traveler, a taekwondo green belt, a vocal music minor, a mom to three curious innovators, and a tough cookie in the Colorado backcountry. Resources: Connect with Amy on LinkedIn. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylsimpkins/) Check out muGrid’s website (http://mugrid.com). Connect with muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/mugrid/) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mugridanalytics). If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1584554544), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3M2UmxuNigAjsA0fx43yqX), or wherever (https://link.chtbl.com/PowerFlow) you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch (https://www.redbubble.com/people/powerflow/shop)! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor (https://www.amysimpkins.com/sponsorship/) or a guest (https://www.amysimpkins.com/beaguest/). You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerflowmedia/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/powerflow.media/), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/powerflowmedia). Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

2. 

   2 Jul 2024TRANSCRIPT

   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 community and meeting people where they are in renewable energy outreach. Quotes “It sounds like people are not opposed to renewable energy if it’s done correctly.” – Nadia Adam “This is our generation’s oil boom.” – Nadia Adam “Artists do motion -based artwork all the time – why can’t this [wind turbines] be one of those?” – Amy Simpkins “These same people that are living on the coast and are worried about their view are likely also worried about what climate change is going to do to that view when their house sinks into the ocean.” – Elina Khutoryansky About Introducing Nadia Adam, a visionary leader celebrated for her multifaceted contributions across industries. Recognized as one of Womenelle's Top 10 Female Leaders of 2024 and honored with the esteemed SIEDC 20 under 40 leadership award, Nadia's remarkable journey reflects her unwavering commitment to driving positive change. At the heart of Nadia's mission is a vision to transform how professionals and the public engage with and understand offshore wind energy. Through high-quality documentaries, feature articles, online courses, and interactive webinars, EcoWind Solutions delivers both deep industry insights and engaging human interest stories. Moreover, Nadia is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community within the offshore wind industry, providing robust forums, career resources, and networking opportunities for industry players. Elina Khutoryansky is the co-founder of EcoWind Solutions.  She is an attorney that specialized in compliance for some of the most highly regulated industries in the US, but joined Nadia in EcoWind Solutions in order to make a greater and more positive impact on the world. Resources Ecowind Solutions (https://www.ecowindsolutions.com/) Staten Island Industrial Alliance (https://www.statenislandindustrialalliance.com/) Instagram:  EcoWindSolutions TikTok:  EcoWindSolutions If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1584554544), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3M2UmxuNigAjsA0fx43yqX), or wherever (https://link.chtbl.com/PowerFlow) you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch (https://www.redbubble.com/people/powerflow/shop)! And hey, you can even apply to be a sponsor (https://www.amysimpkins.com/sponsorship/) or a guest (https://www.amysimpkins.com/beaguest/). You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerflowmedia/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/powerflow.media/), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/powerflowmedia). Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

3. 

   4 Jun 2024TRANSCRIPT

   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. Quotes “Underrepresented people are underrepresented often because they are undersupported.” – Deepa Lounsbury “Bringing that productization piece is almost as important - or just as important - as the technical solution in and of itself.” – Amy Simpkins Deepa is the CEO of LabStart, which unlocks underrepresented entrepreneurial talent from diverse communities and breakthrough climate innovations out of our national labs and institutions. She has spent the last 18 years bringing innovative clean energy products, programs, and initiatives to life. This includes bringing a new residential battery product to market at Enphase Energy, building out the $24M California Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (CalSEED) program to fund early stage entrepreneurs, setting up GE’s first distributed energy platform, commercializing a demand side flexibility software product at a startup, and investing at one of the earliest clean energy venture capital firms, Angeleno Group. Deepa holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from the University of Southern California as well as a master’s degree from UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group.Resources: If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1584554544), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3M2UmxuNigAjsA0fx43yqX), or wherever (https://link.chtbl.com/PowerFlow) you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch (https://www.redbubble.com/people/powerflow/shop)! And hey, you can even apply to be a sponsor (https://www.amysimpkins.com/sponsorship/) or a guest (https://www.amysimpkins.com/beaguest/). You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerflowmedia/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/powerflow.media/), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/powerflowmedia).

Inside a recent episode

3.12 Season 3 Wrap Up with Amy Simpkins

Published 2 Jul 2024 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And so the breaks are already built in and we're trained in that and that actually feels really good to us that like it enables us to get through a very intense soccer season and get through the intense tournament and championship because we know that after that happens, we get some time to rest. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

17 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.