Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

Wes Ashworth
  • 4.2 (5)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

Welcome to Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, a podcast dedicated to unveiling the stories, insights, and strategies of the most influential leaders in the renewable energy sector. Our mission is to offer a platform where the voices of innovators, pioneers, and visionaries in renewable energy are amplified, sharing their journey, challenges, and triumphs with a global audience.

  1. 5D AGO

    Energy Equity in Action: Doug Coward on How SELF Is Rebuilding Communities

    The clean energy transition is creating one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time. But unlocking its full potential requires expanding access to the financial tools that make participation possible. In this powerful episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Doug Coward, Founder and Director of National Expansion and Partnerships at the Solar and Energy Loan Fund, known as SELF. As one of the first nonprofit green banks and Community Development Financial Institutions in the United States, SELF is helping ensure that energy efficiency, resilience, and solar power are accessible to working families and underserved communities. Doug’s journey began in Florida public service, where he served 12 years as a county commissioner. A proposed coal plant in the Sunshine State became the catalyst for a bigger vision. Rather than waiting for top-down change, Doug focused on building a new financing model from the ground up. Today, nearly half of Americans who apply for loans are denied. That financing gap affects everything from hurricane recovery to home efficiency upgrades. SELF addresses this challenge with a different underwriting approach based on ability to pay, not credit scores. The impact is measurable and meaningful: $63 million deployed in clean energy and resilience loansNearly 4,500 homes retrofitted13,000+ people positively impacted70 percent of borrowers from low and moderate income householdsDefault rate under 2 percentDoug shares powerful stories of homeowners rebuilding after hurricanes, seniors accessing affordable roof repairs, and global crowdfunding efforts that mobilized support in hours rather than weeks. We also explore: How green banks function as implementation tools for local governmentsWhy financial inclusion is essential to scaling clean energy adoptionThe role of contractor vetting and consumer protection in building trustThe economic opportunity of domestic solar manufacturingSELF’s plug and play national expansion model now active in 17 statesThis conversation highlights how thoughtful financing structures can strengthen communities, create local jobs, reduce energy burdens, and build long-term resilience. If you care about practical climate solutions that work at the household level, this episode offers both inspiration and a proven model. Learn more about SELF Explore Kiva’s impact investing platform Doug Coward on LinkedIn Subscribe to Green Giants for more conversations with the leaders building the renewable energy economy from the ground up. Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    50 min

  2. FEB 20

    Build Big Things: Canada’s Playbook for Energy Superpower Status

    Canada has the resources. It has the talent. It has global demand knocking at the door. So why does so much potential stall before projects reach final investment decision (FID)? In Episode 91 of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jay Khosla and Yiota Kokkinos of the Public Policy Forum to unpack what it actually takes to build large-scale energy, infrastructure, and critical mineral projects in Canada. Drawing from decades of leadership inside Natural Resources Canada, the Privy Council Office, and global energy forums, Jay and Yiota bring rare, insider clarity to one pressing question: How does Canada move from ambition to execution? Their report, Build Big Things, outlines a practical, four-pillar framework to get major projects across the finish line: Coordinated financing that aligns public capital and private investment Regulatory certainty with clear timelines and disciplined execution Indigenous economic partnership built on ownership and trust Enabling infrastructure planned as integrated systems, not afterthoughtsThey explore why final investment decision is the real battleground for global capital, how fragmented financing slows progress, and why certainty is Canada’s greatest competitive advantage. The conversation also tackles: Canada’s declining productivity and GDP per capita growth The geopolitical urgency created by shifting U.S. trade dynamics Why perception matters in global investment markets How culture change inside public institutions can unlock outcomes Why small modular reactors may be Canada’s defining test caseCanada exports over 90 percent of its energy. The world wants what Canada has. But capital is mobile, and investors move where projects move. If Canada can streamline governance, align federal and provincial leadership, modernize regulatory execution, and build meaningful Indigenous economic participation, the upside is enormous. Modeling suggests the country could add trillions in economic value over the next decade. This episode is not about theory. It is about implementation. If Canada gets this right, it does not just build projects. It reshapes its economic future. Links:  Public Policy Forum's website Build Big Things Playbook Yiota Kokkinos - LinkedIn Jay Khosla - LinkedIn Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    48 min

  3. FEB 13

    Ben Gerber of CleanCounts: Building the Invisible Infrastructure Powering Clean Energy Markets

    Clean energy doesn’t scale on ambition alone. It scales on trust, data, and systems most people never see. In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Ben Gerber, President and CEO of CleanCounts, the nonprofit organization operating one of the most critical yet least visible pieces of clean energy infrastructure in North America. CleanCounts serves as the system of record behind clean energy markets, ensuring renewable electricity and clean fuels are tracked accurately, transparently, and without double counting. While few people ever interact with a clean energy registry directly, nearly every clean energy transaction depends on one. Ben shares how CleanCounts grew from a small, compliance-focused nonprofit into North America’s largest clean energy registry by volume, supporting both regulated markets and the rapidly expanding voluntary market. Over the past decade, the organization scaled by solving hard, unglamorous problems that others overlooked, building credibility through audited financials, customer-first service, and a relentless focus on data integrity. The conversation explores why registries function as invisible infrastructure, underpinning corporate climate commitments, state policies, and emerging 24/7 carbon-free energy goals. Ben explains why clean energy attributes exist in the first place, what critics often misunderstand about them, and why abandoning accounting systems in favor of simplistic grid averages would have serious consequences for renewable development, jobs, and investment. A pivotal moment in CleanCounts’ evolution came when the organization brought software development in-house. That decision allowed CleanCounts to innovate faster, lower costs, and prepare for market changes years before they became mainstream, including hourly energy tracking, hydrogen and nuclear certificates, pollinator-friendly solar credits, and future clean ammonia registries. Ben also unpacks the growing complexity of climate accounting as corporate buyers move beyond procurement toward measurable emissions impact. From hourly matching to emissionality models, he explains why no single framework is a silver bullet and why flexibility, optionality, and validated data matter more than ideology. The episode closes with a forward-looking view of the clean energy transition, where electrons and molecules increasingly intersect, data transparency becomes embedded in everyday decision-making, and trust remains the foundation that makes scale possible. If you want to understand how clean energy markets actually function and why counting correctly matters as much as building fast, this conversation provides rare clarity. Links: Ben Gerber on LinkedIn CleanCounts Website CleanCounts expands clean energy tracking  Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    50 min

  4. FEB 6

    Ed McGinnis of Curio on Why Nuclear “Waste” Is America’s Greatest Energy Asset

    Nuclear energy is having a long-overdue moment. Electricity demand is rising rapidly, advanced reactors are moving closer to deployment, and the United States is sitting on a massive stockpile of spent nuclear fuel with no scalable solution in place. In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Ed McGinnis, President and CEO of Curio, to challenge one of the most entrenched assumptions in clean energy: that nuclear waste is an unsolvable problem. With more than three decades of experience across the U.S. Department of Energy, the White House, and national security institutions, McGinnis brings a rare, systems-level perspective to the conversation. Today, he leads Curio, a company working to recycle spent nuclear fuel, dramatically reduce long-term waste volumes, and fuel the next generation of advanced reactors. The discussion reframes spent nuclear fuel as a largely untapped national asset. McGinnis explains how U.S. policy decisions dating back decades sidelined recycling, why only a small fraction of nuclear fuel’s energy is ever used, and how modern recycling approaches could strengthen energy security, decarbonization, and supply chain independence at the same time. Key themes include: Why spent nuclear fuel still contains enormous energy and economic valueHow Curio’s NuCycle® process differs from legacy recycling methodsThe role nuclear recycling can play in advanced reactors and AI-driven electricity demandHow recycling can reduce long-term storage requirements from hundreds of thousands of years to centuriesWhy vertical integration across recycling, fuel supply, and reactors matters for nuclear’s futureMcGinnis also discusses Curio’s recent milestones, including national laboratory validation of its technology, strategic partnerships, and progress toward commercial-scale deployment. This episode offers a grounded, pragmatic look at how nuclear energy can move beyond stalled policy and legacy assumptions to become a cornerstone of a resilient, clean, and secure energy system. Links: Ed McGinnis on LinkedIn Curio's Website To book this guest on your podcast or news program, please contact Brian Hyland at Cricket Public Relations: www.cricketpr.com CPR@Cricketpr.com  (201) 410-4563 Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    47 min

  5. JAN 30

    Kevin Galloway on Electra’s Bold Mission to Decarbonize a 2-Billion-Ton Industry

    Steel is everywhere. It’s in our cities, vehicles, infrastructure, and daily lives. But few people realize it’s also responsible for roughly 10 percent of global CO₂ emissions. In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Kevin Galloway, Vice President of Product at Electra, to explore how one climate tech startup is taking on one of the world’s hardest decarbonization challenges. Kevin shares his journey from engineering physics and materials science into clean energy startups, including batteries, microgrids, and electrochemical systems, and how those experiences prepared him to help build Electra from a literal garage startup into a company focused on reinventing iron and steelmaking. The conversation dives deep into what it really takes to scale physical climate technology, where progress is measured in years rather than software release cycles. This episode goes beyond the technology. Kevin explains why steel is a systems problem, not just a technical one, and how Electra approaches decarbonization without simply shifting environmental harm elsewhere. From reducing waste across the mining and steel value chain to designing processes compatible with renewable energy, Electra’s mission is about solving one problem without creating another. Wes and Kevin also unpack what startup life actually demands, why early-stage companies can be powerful accelerators for professional growth, and how leadership evolves as teams scale. Kevin offers thoughtful insight on building trust, enabling teams, making hard pivots when new breakthroughs emerge, and choosing the right investors for long-term, capital-intensive climate solutions. The conversation closes with an optimistic look at the future of clean energy and heavy industry, advice for young engineers considering climate tech careers, and a vision for what the world could look like if low-carbon steel becomes the norm. Key themes covered in this episode include: Why steel is one of the biggest and least understood climate challengesHow Electra is rethinking iron production using clean energy and systems-level designLessons from scaling hard tech startups and leading engineering teamsThe importance of aligned investors in physical climate technologyCareer advice for engineers and operators entering clean energyIf you’re interested in climate tech, clean energy innovation, industrial decarbonization, or what it really takes to build companies that change how the world works, this is a must-listen episode. Links:  Kevin Galloway on LinkedIn Electra's Website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    42 min

  6. JAN 23

    How Jeremy Teresinski Is Scaling Utility-Scale Solar Construction at Qcells

    What does it take to scale utility-scale solar construction fast, safely, and at gigawatt scale? In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Jeremy Teresinski, Vice President of Construction at Qcells USA, to explore how one of the most ambitious EPC platforms in the country is redefining how large-scale solar gets built. Jeremy’s leadership story is anything but traditional. He started his career as a day laborer installing solar modules, worked his way through the trades and electrical apprenticeship, and ultimately rose into executive leadership. Today, he oversees construction execution for Qcells’ self-perform utility-scale projects, including some of the largest solar and energy storage developments currently underway in the United States. This conversation is about execution, people, and preparation at scale. Wes and Jeremy unpack how Qcells rapidly built a construction organization from the ground up, moving from minimal self-perform capability to delivering projects measured in hundreds of megawatts and gigawatts. Jeremy shares the systems, standards, and leadership principles required to scale without sacrificing safety, quality, or culture. Key topics include: How Qcells built a scalable construction platform focused on standardization and executionWhy preparation and planning matter more than speed aloneHow empowering field leaders drives accountability and performanceWhat most executives misunderstand about craft laborHow Qcells supports workforce development, training, and well-beingThe role of automation, physical AI, and new skill sets in the future of solar constructionWhy solar remains the fastest and most affordable solution to meet explosive power demand from AI and data centersThis episode offers a rare look at what the energy transition looks like when leadership comes from the field and execution is treated as a strategic advantage. If you care about how clean energy is actually built, this is a must-listen. Links:  Jeremy Teresinski on LinkedIn Qcells USA EPC Website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    46 min

  7. JAN 16

    Why Renewable Projects Struggle Without Community Buy-In and How to Fix It

    What if the biggest reason renewable energy projects fail has nothing to do with technology or capital... and everything to do with trust? In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, host Wes Ashworth sits down with Tristan Walker, President at Massif Energy, a company rethinking how renewable projects get built by putting communities at the center from day one. Tristan grew up in a boom-and-bust resource town in British Columbia. He trained as an aerospace engineer, worked in municipal government, and even ran a clothing brand that funded community solar projects. Today, he's leading a new kind of clean energy company; one that starts every project with the question: "What does this community actually want?" What You'll Learn: Why community resistance often starts before the first permit is filedHow oil and gas earned loyalty in rural regions and what renewables can learn from thatThe disconnect between local communities and institutional project ownersHow to build pride and trust by co-designing projects from the ground upWhy BC’s hydro storage makes it a hidden asset in a renewables-first futureA mindset shift every developer and investor should adopt if they want to scale fasterThis episode is for you if: You build, invest in, or develop clean energy projectsYou partner with Indigenous or rural communitiesYou care about scaling renewables with real public supportYou believe trust is as important as technology in the energy transitionLinks:  Tristan Walker on LinkedIn Massif Energy's website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    45 min

  8. JAN 9

    The Future of Home Value, Climate Risk, and Resilience with Climative CEO Winston Morton

    Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract issue. It is rapidly becoming a financial reality embedded in home values, insurance premiums, mortgage risk, and long-term affordability. In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Winston Morton, CEO of Climative, to explore how physical climate risk is reshaping the economics of buildings across North America and why resilience is emerging as one of the most important value drivers in real estate. With more than two decades of experience spanning engineering, enterprise IT, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and clean energy, Winston brings a systems-level perspective to one of the biggest challenges in the energy transition: how to turn awareness into action at scale. Climative sits at the intersection of climate risk, building performance, and financial decision-making. Its platform helps homeowners, banks, insurers, utilities, contractors, and governments understand how climate impacts a specific building, which upgrades improve resilience and efficiency, and how those investments translate into lower risk and higher long-term value. In this conversation, Wes and Winston unpack why traditional energy programs often fail to drive action, how emotional and life-stage moments influence homeowner decisions, and why comparing energy use to neighbors is rarely enough. Winston explains the three pillars required for real activation: clear guidance, affordable capital, and trusted execution. They also explore a powerful analogy shaping Climative’s vision: the idea that buildings need a climate “credit score.” Just as financial systems rely on standardized data to price risk, today’s housing market lacks a unified, scalable way to assess physical climate risk across millions of buildings. That gap is now being priced into insurance, lending, and asset valuation, often without homeowners realizing it. The discussion goes deeper into why the climate conversation is shifting from prevention to adaptation, how catastrophic losses are accelerating changes in insurance and finance, and why economics, not policy, will define the next phase of climate progress. Winston outlines the massive retrofit opportunity sitting idle across North America and what it will take to unlock over a trillion dollars in resilience, efficiency, and clean energy investments. This episode is essential listening for anyone working in climate, energy, real estate, finance, insurance, or infrastructure, and for homeowners trying to understand how climate risk is quietly reshaping the future of housing. Key themes include: Why climate risk is becoming financial riskHow resilience upgrades impact insurance, mortgages, and home valueThe missing data layer holding back large-scale retrofitsWhy economics will drive climate action faster than policyHow Climative is building a scalable platform for millions of buildingsListen to learn how the future of home value will be defined by resilience, data, and action. Links:  Winston Morton on LinkedIn Climative's Website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    47 min
See All (92)

Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Welcome to Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, a podcast dedicated to unveiling the stories, insights, and strategies of the most influential leaders in the renewable energy sector. Our mission is to offer a platform where the voices of innovators, pioneers, and visionaries in renewable energy are amplified, sharing their journey, challenges, and triumphs with a global audience.

Information

You Might Also Like