Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Joe Adiletta, CEO of Volexion and a veteran of the battery world, to explore what it really takes to commercialize deep tech innovation in one of the most capital-intensive and strategically vital industries of our time: lithium-ion batteries.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 innovationHow Volexion’s “small change, big impact” strategy drives measurable results with minimal disruptionWhat it takes to turn university research into commercial materials shipped around the worldThe brutal realities of funding first-of-a-kind facilities and what hard tech really needs from investorsWhy battery breakthroughs haven’t followed the step-change model of software and why that’s okayHow Joe leads through uncertainty and builds resilience inside small, mission-driven teamsWhy 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 LinkedInVolexion's WebsiteWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

What if the strongest opportunities in renewable energy aren’t in massive utility projects, but in the overlooked middle of the market where disciplined operators consistently outperform?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 startupWhy being undercapitalized became their advantageHow Walmart and Target reshaped the businesssWhat selling the company taught Mike about timingHow Energea was createdThe financing gap Mike discovered while meeting solar companies around the worldWhy emerging markets offered high-quality projects but little access to capitalHow Energea structures diversified portfolios with monthly dividendsGlobal markets and performanceWhy Brazil became a breakout successHow South Africa’s unstable grid drives demand for solar-plus-storageWhy Colombia’s hydro volatility creates huge opportunityOperating 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 assetsMike 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 LinkedInEnergea's WebsiteEnergea - Get StartedWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

What if the key to unlocking nuclear energy’s future has been buried all along?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 implementHow horizontal boreholes can isolate waste for over a million years with peak doses lower than a single banana per yearWhat Deep Isolation’s universal canister makes possible across fuel types, reprocessing, and storageWhy the real bottleneck isn’t technology, but outdated U.S. policy stuck on Yucca MountainHow countries like Estonia and others in Eastern Europe are leapfrogging the U.S. with forward-looking nuclear strategiesThis 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.LinksRod Baltzer on LinkedInDeep Isolation's WebsiteYouTube Video - Rocket Powered Train Impact Test of Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipping CaskWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: [email protected] https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

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/

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/