Electric Equity

Brian Thomas

Electric Equity looks at energy poverty around the globe, explores how it limits people’s ability to flourish as human beings, and brings to light efforts to increase energy access. Your host is engineering Professor Brian Thomas, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization JustEnergy, which works to combat energy poverty in the poorest and least electrified country in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. Fighting Energy Poverty is full of challenges: some are technical, some are cultural, some are financial, some are ethical. Our show will demystify energy and electricity and unpack the central role of energy access for international development and human flourishing. We’ll introduce you to people and organizations that are doing something about it and explore philosophical and ethical questions along the way.

Episodes

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Puerto Rico's Ongoing Electricity Struggles

    Bad Bunny's Superbowl LX halftime show gives us a glimpse of Puerto Rico's struggling electric grid, especially since Hurricane Maria's impact in 2017. Was privatization the right way to rebuild PR's infrastructure, or has it caused more problems than before? In this brief episode we provide a high-level history for those made curious by Bad Bunny's performance.

    10 min

  2. 20 JAN

    EarthSpark's Micro Utilities

    Jean Thaylord is a member of the nonprofit group EarthSpark, which builds micro utilities in Haiti. He grew up in Haiti, but was able to study electrical engineering at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He joined EarthSpark in 2018 where he helps operate two prepaid town-level micro grids in the remote Tiberon Peninsula of Southeast Haiti. Together, these two microgrids have about 1000 connections that use an innovative electric meter for control, planning, and visibility. Customers on the EarthSpark microgrids are encouraged to use their electricity for creating value, which often looks like agricultural processes that enhance businesses already in operation. Jean and the EarthSpark team feel a sense of responsibility to educate their customers, many of whom have never had electricity access before. Although these two grids were designed to be 75% solar and 25% diesel powered, EarthSpark is moving away from diesel, citing a lack of control of the fuel supply. The next six grids being planned will be designed for 100% solar. The cost of energy is around 30 to 45 cents per kilowatt hour in Tiberon. Electricity theft is greatly limited by using branch level totalizing meters reconciled against the sum of the household meters on that branch. Key services such as telecommunications and hospitals are secured by a microgrid within the microgrid for added reliability in anticipation of natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Enèji Pwòp is a microgrid operations company also launched by EarthSpark that runs the day-to-day businesses of the microgrids. Enèji Pwòp's technicians and its grid ambassadors live in their respective towns and are well known by everyone. As a result, locals have a strong sense of ownership, which is both highly motivating and a source of community pride. Jean's interactions with customers as they transition to electricity is rewarding. Working on these Haitian microgrids is the best way he can imagine to use his God-given abilities. For him, it's a matter of stewardship. He encourages other people to seek meaningful service working in this space, to step outside their comfort zone and work abroad on similar projects. See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.

  3. 20/12/2025

    Mackendy's Story

    This episode introduces us to Mackendy, the General Manager and Cultural Liasson for JustEnergy's work in Haiti. We learn how how he lost his mother as a child amid Vodou curses, but was able to study languages and translation services. He recalls the story of a blackout during his wife's c-section, and unpacks Haitian fuel shortages, black market fuel sales, and using propane as a fuel for electricity generation. Main Points: Poverty is rampant and life is hard in Haiti. Electricity is primarily generated through private generators using diesel and gasoline. Fuel shortages exacerbated by gang violence mean even hospitals have blackouts - sometimes during surgery. Black market fuel sales mean gasoline is like cash - but more dangerous. Propane offers a viable alternative for electricity generation. See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.

    39 min

  4. 20/12/2025

    Remote Alaskan Microgrids

    In this episode, I speak with Aimie Servant, a licensed professional engineer at the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC), about what it really takes to keep the lights on in some of the most remote communities in North America. While much of Alaska relies on the Railbelt grid, AVEC operates independent microgrids serving rural villages—small “electrical islands” powered close to the people they serve. We explore how these systems depend largely on diesel generation, sometimes supported by wind power and battery energy storage, and why fuel logistics drive electricity costs to around 40¢ per kilowatt-hour. With fuel and equipment delivered by barge during short seasonal windows, reliability requires careful planning, large storage capacity, and a layered maintenance model involving local operators, traveling technicians, and engineers. The conversation also looks forward, discussing the role of lithium iron phosphate batteries, potential thermal energy storage, and why diesel remains essential in extreme cold. Aimie reflects on the charge of her faith to be “the light of the world” in very tangible ways. Main Points: Alaska’s roughly 200 microgrids operate as isolated electrical systems. Diesel remains central to reliability despite growing renewables. Fuel logistics and seasonal access shape system design and cost. Power Cost Equalization supports energy equity in rural communities. Multiple energy systems work best as complements, not competitors. See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.

    43 min

  5. 20/12/2025

    Energy Virtue, Energy Vice

    In this episode, I speak with Dr. Kayla Garrett, a professor in Baylor University's department of Environmental Science and co-founder of the nonprofit JustEnergy, about how electricity access shapes human freedom and responsibility. Kayla’s journey began as an undergraduate in humanitarian engineering, when a service-learning trip to Haiti involved helping a hospital install an off-grid solar and battery system—an experience that permanently altered how she thinks about development and energy justice. Since earning her PhD in environmental science, Dr. Garrett has continued teaching and leading JustEnergy, supporting projects in both Texas and Haiti. Our conversation centers on the Human Development Index (HDI), which integrates life expectancy, education, and income as measures of human flourishing. We explore why electricity consumption correlates so strongly with HDI: small amounts of energy dramatically improve quality of life for the energy-poor, while additional energy provides diminishing returns for energy-rich societies. Could this be called "energy gluttony?" Dr. Garrett also reflects candidly on returning from Haiti with feelings of anger and shame, and how those emotions evolved into a call for energy temperance—a disciplined, neighbor-centered approach to energy use. We conclude by distinguishing between energy conservation as a behavioral choice and energy efficiency as a technological strategy. Main Points: Humanitarian engineering and formative experiences in Haiti HDI as a measure of freedom and development Electricity’s nonlinear impact on quality of life Energy temperance, energy gluttony, conservation, and efficiency See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.

    30 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

Electric Equity looks at energy poverty around the globe, explores how it limits people’s ability to flourish as human beings, and brings to light efforts to increase energy access. Your host is engineering Professor Brian Thomas, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization JustEnergy, which works to combat energy poverty in the poorest and least electrified country in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. Fighting Energy Poverty is full of challenges: some are technical, some are cultural, some are financial, some are ethical. Our show will demystify energy and electricity and unpack the central role of energy access for international development and human flourishing. We’ll introduce you to people and organizations that are doing something about it and explore philosophical and ethical questions along the way.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Thomas
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Electric Equity Brian Thomas
  • Show Website
    Electric Equity