Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

• The Truth About Solar Panel Waste: Inside the Recycling Revolution with Dr. Janette Freeman

  Most conversations about solar focus on growth, installation, and deployment. Far fewer address the reality on the other end of the lifecycle: what happens to millions of solar panels once they’re damaged, decommissioned, or reach the end of their usable life.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 portrayedThe biggest misconceptions that still slow down recycling adoptionWhat 75 percent of today’s recycling volumes reveal about industry growthHow companies decide between refurbishing, reselling, or fully recycling modulesThe economics behind recycling and why costs are droppingHow risk, compliance, and reputation increasingly influence end-of-life decisionsWhy landfill access is tightening and how that accelerates circular solutionsHow the recycling market has rapidly expanded from only a handful of providersWhat the next decade looks like as the first major wave of utility-scale projects retiresThe leadership mindset needed to stay steady in a volatile, high-growth sectorDr. 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 LinkedInFabtech Solar Solutions' WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

  --------  

  47:22

  --------

  47:22
• Leading Through Uncertainty: Kimberlee Centera on Power, People, and Resilience

  When policy shocks hit and the ground shifts beneath an entire industry, real leadership is revealed.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 uncertainCommunity impact: Why renewable projects are more than energy, they’re lifelines for rural economiesPolicy shifts and resilience: What HR1 means for developers, and how the smartest teams are adaptingCulture and values: How Kimberlee keeps her virtual team engaged, aligned, and growing through changeThe next generation of leaders: Why collaboration and inclusion are shaping the industry’s futureFrom 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 LinkedInTerraPro SolutionsEpisode 39 with KimberleeWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

  --------  

  50:11

  --------

  50:11
• Building Energy, Building Trust: Steffanie Dohn on McCarthy’s Human Approach to Progress

  Episode SummaryIn 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 NotesWhen 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 wholeCommunity engagement that lasts: how early, authentic outreach can transform skepticism into local pride and long-term partnershipThe workforce revolution: how McCarthy’s apprenticeship programs and local hiring commitments are creating careers, not just jobs, in rural AmericaDepoliticizing energy: how business leaders can step into advocacy to bridge divides and strengthen America’s energy reliabilityA “yes, and” mindset: why embracing multiple energy solutions, not competing over one, is the key to abundance and resilienceThrough 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 LinkedInMcCarthy Building Companies Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

  --------  

  45:54

  --------

  45:54
• Building The Bridge: How Emily Easley Connects Oil, Renewables, and the Future of Energy

  In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth welcomes Emily Easley, Founder and CEO of NOVUS Energy Advisors, for a powerful look at how oil, gas, renewables, real estate, and AI are colliding to define the next era of energy.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 otherWhy the biggest barriers to collaboration are cultural, not technicalThe AI and data center boom and what it means for the power gridThe truth about permitting and interconnection bottlenecksHow utilities and developers can plan smarter in an era of exponential load growthWhat regulation really signals about maturity and commercializationWhy trades, field experience, and historical knowledge are irreplaceable in the new workforceHow to spot true operators versus opportunists in a fast-changing marketEmily 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 LinkedInNovus Energy Advisors WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

  --------  

  48:09

  --------

  48:09
• The Swiss Army Knife of the Grid: Energy Storage’s Rise and Redefinition

  In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Justin Rangooni, President and CEO of Energy Storage Canada. With a background in law, policy, and government relations, Justin has become a leading voice in one of the most dynamic and consequential sectors of the clean energy transition: energy storage.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 nowThe evolution of market design and the rise of “value stacking”How long-duration technologies are unlocking multi-day grid flexibilityWhat’s missing between critical mineral extraction and battery manufacturingWhy Indigenous equity is a must in clean energy developmentHow distributed storage could defer traditional grid investmentsWhat gives Justin hope about the grid’s futureIf 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 LinkedInEnergy Storage CanadaWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

  --------  

  44:28

  --------

  44:28

Mais podcasts de Negócios

Podcasts em tendência em Negócios

Sobre Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast