Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy Podcast

Wes Ashworth

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. 2D AGO

    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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. JAN 2

    Up and to the Right: Marty Rogers on Leadership, Storage, and the Future of Solar

    The solar industry has never been simple, and few leaders understand its full arc better than Marty Rogers. In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Marty Rogers, General Manager for North America at SolarEdge, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, global perspective, and what a healthy solar industry actually looks like over the next decade. Marty’s career spans more than three decades across electrical distribution, global manufacturing, service organizations, and renewable energy leadership. From building businesses in the U.S. to leading teams across Asia and Europe, his experience gives him a rare operator’s lens on how solar has evolved, where it struggles, and why its long-term fundamentals remain strong. The conversation begins with Marty’s unconventional career path and the formative leadership lessons he learned early, including the importance of patience, cultural awareness, and empowering teams rather than micromanaging them. He explains how global experience reshaped his approach to leadership and why strong middle management is often the true engine behind execution and growth. From there, the discussion moves into the realities of the “solar coaster.” Marty breaks down why the industry’s ups and downs often feel dramatic in the moment, yet consistently trend upward over time. He shares why policy changes, incentives, and political noise rarely alter the long-term trajectory, and how smart operators adapt rather than panic. A major theme of the episode is the shift from viewing solar as a transactional product to understanding it as a 20–30 year partnership. Marty explains why long-term service, support, and customer trust are essential to sustaining the industry and how that mindset influences everything from product design to organizational structure. The episode also dives deep into today’s biggest growth areas, including commercial rooftop solar, energy storage, and virtual power plants. Marty outlines why commercial rooftops remain one of the most underutilized assets in the country, how storage has moved rapidly from optional to essential, and why VPPs are becoming a critical tool for grid stability and cost control. Listeners will also hear an inside look at SolarEdge’s U.S.-based manufacturing strategy, including inverter and battery production across multiple states and the significance of exporting solar technology from the United States. Marty explains how shorter supply chains, domestic manufacturing, and product simplicity are reshaping reliability, scalability, and installer experience. The conversation closes with a forward-looking view of the industry. Marty shares why solar’s fundamentals remain strong, why demand for energy is only accelerating, and why the industry’s future continues to move “up and to the right.” What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How global leadership experience shapes better solar organizationsWhy solar’s long-term growth remains intact despite policy swingsThe importance of treating solar as a decades-long partnershipWhy commercial rooftops and storage represent massive untapped opportunityHow virtual power plants are quietly becoming essential grid infrastructureWhat responsible scaling and U.S.-based manufacturing really mean for solar’s futureLinks:  Marty Rogers on LinkedIn SolarEdge Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    47 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    Portable Power and the Future of Grid Flexibility with SparkCharge's CFO David Piperno

    In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with David Piperno, CFO of SparkCharge, to explore how portable energy solutions are reshaping EV charging, fleet electrification, and grid stability. SparkCharge is best known for building the world’s first portable EV charging network, but the conversation goes far beyond charging vehicles. David explains how mobile energy storage, pay-as-you-go models, and rapid deployment are solving some of the biggest bottlenecks in clean energy adoption, from long infrastructure timelines to rising grid constraints. Drawing on more than two decades of experience across finance, mobility, and energy technology, including leadership roles at Zipcar, Deloitte, and Spartan, David shares how aligning sustainability with strong unit economics is the key to scaling climate solutions. Key Themes Covered Why EV infrastructure keeps falling behind demand David breaks down why traditional charging infrastructure is too slow, too expensive, and often underutilized, especially for fleets trying to scale quickly.How SparkCharge’s portable, pay-as-you-go model works The discussion explains how SparkCharge eliminates upfront capital costs, deploys in days instead of years, and scales energy up or down based on real usage rather than peak assumptions.Flexibility as a competitive advantage From same-day deployments to serving locations without grid upgrades, SparkCharge’s approach gives fleets operational certainty while reducing financial risk.When delivered energy can be cheaper than the grid David walks through peak shaving, avoiding demand charges, and absorbing surplus renewable energy, showing how mobile storage can lower energy costs while supporting grid stability.Beyond EVs: supporting the grid and other power-constrained industries The conversation expands into non-wire alternatives, frequency regulation, data centers, and how mobile energy assets are becoming essential as electricity demand accelerates.Why EVs are deflationary and ICE vehicles are not David explains total cost of ownership, declining battery prices, lower maintenance, and why EVs continue to improve over time through software updates.What the U.S. must do to stay competitive The episode explores policy consistency, infrastructure incentives, and why pace matters as global competition in clean energy intensifies.The role of AI in accelerating electrification David shares how SparkCharge is using AI to reduce fleet analysis timelines from months to minutes, enabling faster and more accurate energy deployments.Why This Episode Matters As electrification expands across transportation, data centers, and industry, the grid is under unprecedented pressure. This episode offers a practical look at how mobile energy, storage, and flexible deployment models can close the gap between ambition and execution, without waiting years for infrastructure to catch up. Whether you’re leading a fleet, building energy infrastructure, or navigating the clean energy transition, this conversation provides real-world insight into what scalable, economically viable solutions look like today. Links: David Piperno on LinkedIn SparkCharge's Website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    48 min

  8. 12/12/2025

    Small Change, Big Impact: How Joe Adiletta and Volexion Are Redefining Battery Breakthroughs

    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 LinkedIn Volexion's Website Wes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/

    44 min
See All (89)

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