Project Vanguard Podcast

Kevin Doffing
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A podcast about leadership, energy, and service — told by the veterans shaping America’s Energy Dominance. Project Vanguard brings raw, mission-first conversations with those who’ve led in the military and continue to serve their country, building our energy future. Real stories. Clear insight. Focused on an All of the Above energy strategy where Energy Security is National Security. media.projectvanguard.com

  1. Power Is Not Political with Frank Macchiarola

    5D AGO

    Power Is Not Political with Frank Macchiarola

    Energy has a messenger problem. Not a technology problem, not a cost problem, not even a policy problem at its core. The people doing the work and building the projects are winning. The people telling the story are struggling. Frank Macchiarola has spent 20 years on the advocacy side of energy, first at the American Petroleum Institute and now as Chief Advocacy Officer at American Clean Power. He has worked both sides of the fuel spectrum and both chambers of Congress. When he says the divisions in energy used to be geographic, not partisan, he is speaking from direct experience. And when he says that shift is now the single biggest obstacle to building what the country needs, it carries weight that cable news commentary never will. Frank is also the first non-veteran to sit down on this podcast. That was intentional. The advocacy and external affairs lane in energy is one veterans should know about, and Frank’s perspective on what actually moves policymakers connects directly to the grassroots work Project Vanguard is building. One of the sharpest moments in the conversation is Frank’s case that renewables and oil & gas are not actually in market competition right now. Demand growth from AI, data centers, and domestic manufacturing is so large that every resource is needed. The political war between fuels does not match the reality on the ground. Frank lived that reality at API. He is living it now at ACP. A former boss of his used to share an anecdote from a senator: “I always vote with my favorite lobbyist until I hear from my constituent.” That line sits underneath the entire conversation. Who shows up matters more than who has access. Veterans, landowners, frontline workers, local business owners. Those are the voices that stop a legislator in their tracks. Frank explains why, and what ACP’s Power Votes program is doing to put that principle into practice at scale. We also get into what the external affairs career pathway looks like for veterans and why Frank’s best piece of career advice cuts against most of the guidance people hear during transition. Timestamps * 00:00 - Introduction & Frank Macchiarola * 01:41 - ACP’s Role in Clean Energy Advocacy * 03:31 - How Energy Became a Political Football * 06:59 - Energy Security as National Security * 10:30 - Renewables and Oil & Gas Are Not in Conflict * 13:35 - Why the Messaging Still Gets Mired * 17:56 - Power Votes and Grassroots Advocacy * 23:16 - Constituents as the Real Messengers * 29:19 - Authentic Voices on the Ground * 33:38 - Showing Up with Facts and Data * 36:04 - Clean Energy’s Competitive Position * 38:54 - External Affairs as a Career for Veterans * 43:33 - Closing Resources People & Organizations * Frank Macchiarola (LinkedIn) * American Clean Power Association (Website - LinkedIn) * Power Votes * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) Organizations Discussed * American Petroleum Institute * Farm to Power * Conservative Energy Network Company & Industry News * Clean Power Adds Record 50 GW in 2025 as Surging Electricity Demand Accelerates * ACP Clean Power on the Hill * Clean Energy’s Ground Game: ACP Grassroots Strategy Session Related Podcasts by Project Vanguard * Energy Needs a New Pitch, Veterans Are It * Veterans, Policy, and the Hidden Energy Battlefield with Michael Dunn * The Cost of Energy Chaos with Joshua Bice Related Substack Posts by Kevin * Make Energy Boring Again * Veterans at ACP CLEANPOWER 2025 Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    44 min
  2. From Sea Daddy to Mrs. Virginia with Lourdes Spurlock

    APR 8

    From Sea Daddy to Mrs. Virginia with Lourdes Spurlock

    Lourdes Spurlock spent six years in the Navy running nuclear reactors. She was one of a handful of women on board, trained by male mentors who held her to the same standard as everyone else, and she came out the other side with thick skin, dark humor, and zero idea how to have a normal conversation with civilian women. So she entered a pageant. Not because she wanted a crown. Because she needed to relearn how to exist outside the military. How to dress for an interview. How to talk to people who didn’t get the joke. How to stop being the person nobody invites out a second time. Pageants became etiquette training, community access, and eventually a platform. She’s now Mrs. Virginia International 2026, and her platform is renewable energy, STEM, and veteran support. That alone would be a good story. But this conversation goes further. Lourdes talks about what it actually feels like to leave a world where your coworkers check on you over the weekend and enter one where nobody asks how your three-day went. She talks about choosing a smaller pond on purpose, spending nine years at Newport News Shipyard building nuclear carriers before jumping into wind energy. And she makes the case that veterans don’t need more certifications to lead in this industry. They need to know what they bring and be willing to say it out loud in 30 seconds or less. There’s a moment where Kevin asks what she wants to see happen with Project Vanguard’s fellowship over the next year. Her answer is direct: more women. Not as a talking point. Because she knows what it’s like to be the only one in the room and have nobody who gets it. Timestamps * 00:00 - Introduction & Lourdes Spurlock * 01:30 - Legislative Days in Virginia & Oklahoma * 03:47 - Social Media & LinkedIn for Veterans * 05:25 - Getting a Screening Call, Not a Job * 07:48 - Building a Network Through Community * 09:13 - Mrs. Virginia International 2026 * 10:28 - From Navy Nuke to Pageant Stage * 13:37 - Finding Mentors by Asking Why * 15:38 - Sea Daddies & Navy Mentorship Culture * 16:56 - Joining the Military & Newport News * 18:54 - Find the Small Pond First * 22:53 - More Women in the Fellowship * 27:28 - Your Story Is the Product * 29:28 - Advice for Veterans Entering Energy * 33:21 - Don’t Be Scared to Be the Only Woman Resources People & Organizations Mentioned * Lourdes Spurlock (LinkedIn) * Apex Clean Energy (Website - LinkedIn) * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) * American Clean Power Association (Website) Company & Industry News * Apex Clean Energy Closes $2.79 Billion in Financing for Three Renewable Energy Projects * Virginia’s First Onshore Wind Farm Under Construction in Botetourt County * Valley of Valor: Lourdes Spurlock Related Podcasts by Project Vanguard * Energy Needs a New Pitch, Veterans Are It * The Network After Service with Ken Webre * Building Energy From Experience with Jon Powers Related Substack Posts by Kevin * Veterans in Energy & Infrastructure * Your Next Mission: America’s Energy Future Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    36 min
  3. Training the Energy Workforce with Nick Martocci

    APR 1

    Training the Energy Workforce with Nick Martocci

    A lot of talk about energy stays stuck in the clouds. This conversation stays closer to the ground. I sit down with Nick Martocci, a Marine turned Army National Guard pilot turned renewable energy trainer, to talk about the part of the industry people often miss: the actual workforce behind it. Not the slogans. Not the social media food fight. The work. What comes through in this episode is how naturally veterans can fit into energy when the path is made visible. Nick lays out why the field feels familiar to so many former service members. Small teams. Safety. Mission execution. Logistics. Reliability. Taking care of the person to your left and right. That matters because this is not just about helping veterans land jobs. It is about building a workforce that can keep critical infrastructure running, adapt to new technologies, and strengthen the systems the country depends on. Project Vanguard has been clear that veterans are trusted messengers and practical builders in this space, especially when the conversation stays focused on people, projects, and policies instead of political theater. A few things make this episode worth your time: * Nick explains why energy work, especially in wind and storage, can be a real long-term fit for veterans * He gets specific about training, apprenticeships, and what companies actually need * He makes the case that energy security is not just about generation, but about workforce readiness and protection of the grid One of the strongest threads here is that veterans do not need vague encouragement. They need clear pathways, real standards, and people willing to lower the ladder once they’ve climbed it. That sits right in the middle of Project Vanguard’s broader mission to connect veteran credibility with workforce opportunity and American energy strength. This episode is useful for veterans looking for their next move, for employers thinking harder about talent pipelines, and for anyone who says they care about energy security but has not spent much time thinking about who actually does the work. Resources People & Organizations: * Nick Martocci (LinkedIn) * Technical Training Academy (Website - LinkedIn) * Infinite Fidelis Consulting (Website - LinkedIn) * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) Company & Industry News * Tower Training Academy’s Renewable Apprenticeships Books & Articles Discussed * Global Wind Organisation - Wind Training Standards * Global Wind Organisation - Basic Technical Training Standard * Online CAPM® and PMP® Certification Prep Related Podcasts by Project Vanguard * The Next Tour of Duty Begins with DJ Husted * From Baghdad to the Boardroom with Michelle Nicholson Related Substack Posts by Kevin * Energy Security: A Strategic Imperative in Uncertain Times * Your Next Mission: America’s Energy Future * Veterans at ACP CLEANPOWER 2025 Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    38 min
  4. The Cost of Energy Chaos with Joshua Bice

    MAR 25

    The Cost of Energy Chaos with Joshua Bice

    The problem is not that America lacks energy resources. The problem is that we keep treating a long-horizon infrastructure challenge like a short-term political argument. In this conversation, Joshua Bice helps put a finer point on something Project Vanguard keeps coming back to: energy security is national security. Not as a bumper sticker. As a practical reality. When Josh talks about the projects being built right now, he is not describing some clean-vs-conventional fantasy debate. He is describing large, real-world resiliency plays where natural gas, storage, renewables, interconnection, regulation, and industrial load growth are all colliding at once. That is especially true as AI drives bigger and more power-hungry facilities into the system. The sharpest turn in the episode comes when the conversation moves from engineering to investment. Josh’s point is simple: scared money does not invest. If policy swings every election cycle, capital gets cautious, timelines stretch, and the country loses ground on the very infrastructure it says it wants to build. That is not just a market problem. It is a national strength problem. That is also where the veteran piece matters. Kevin and Josh get at something bigger than workforce stats. Veterans tend to understand operational discipline, mission focus, risk mitigation, and long-term responsibility. In an industry that runs on reliability and trust, that matters. Project Vanguard’s broader case is that veterans are not just a hiring pool. They are credible messengers for a more grounded energy conversation. A few threads run through this one: * energy abundance without purity politics * policy consistency as a condition for serious investment * veteran credibility as an asset in public persuasion The unresolved question hanging over the episode is the right one: can the country build a stable framework before politics keeps chasing capital off the field? Timestamps * 00:00 - Introduction * 01:37 - Project Vanguard Growth * 07:52 - Energy Underground in Houston * 12:50 - What Energy Security Means * 14:08 - Why Veterans Fit Energy * 17:27 - Partisanship and Policy Risk * 18:38 - Veterans as Trusted Voices * 19:39 - Josh’s Enlistment Story * 23:05 - Getting Out and Finding Direction * 23:52 - Breaking Into Energy in Latin America * 31:11 - Follow-Through, Trust, and Reputation * 32:39 - Advice for Veterans Entering Energy * 37:05 - Final Thoughts and Outro Resources People & Organizations * Josh Bice * rPlus Energies (Website - LinkedIn) * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) * Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Website) * North American Electric Reliability Corporation (Website) Company & Industry News * rPlus Energies Acquires 900 MW of Solar and Storage Projects in Ada County, Idaho * rPlus Energies Secures Approximately $100 Million in Tax Equity Financing with Truist Bank for Pleasant Valley Solar 2 * US AI boom faces electric shock * US utilities scale up grid-boosting tech to meet surging demand Books & Articles Discussed * Electric Reliability * NERC Standards Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    38 min
  5. The Network After Service with Ken Webre

    MAR 18

    The Network After Service with Ken Webre

    A lot of veterans do not struggle because they lack discipline, grit, or work ethic. They struggle because the structure disappears, the signal gets noisy, and nobody gives them a clear map for what comes next. That is the real center of this conversation with Ken Webre, the Director of Business Development for W-Industries. Ken has spent decades in the electrical and power world, but what makes this episode worth your time is not just his industry background. It is the way he talks about transition without dressing it up. When he came out of the Navy, there was no giant network waiting for him. No clear translation from military experience to civilian work. No obvious playbook. He leaned on family, figured it out, and built a long career in electrical leadership from there. What makes that story matter now is that the problem has changed shape, but not substance. Today’s veterans have more information than ever. They can search anything, join anything, take any course, chase any credential. But that can become its own trap. More options do not automatically create more clarity. Sometimes they just make it easier to get lost. That is where this conversation lands squarely in Project Vanguard territory: * trusted guidance matters more than generic advice * curiosity beats posturing * careers in energy become real when someone helps connect the dots One of the strongest threads in the episode is Ken’s point that veterans should not lose themselves trying to fit somebody else’s mold. Show up. Be honest. Stay curious. Treat the work like it matters. That sounds simple, but it cuts against a lot of the bad advice people get when they are trying to build a second life after service. This is also why Project Vanguard matters. Not as a slogan, and not as a feel-good veteran brand, but as a place where people can get real direction from others who have already made the jump. That fits the broader mission: veteran credibility, workforce opportunity, and practical leadership in an industry that actually builds things. That framing is consistent with Project Vanguard’s stated focus on veterans as trusted messengers and on connecting service members to energy careers. The bigger question sitting underneath this episode is simple: how many veterans are still making major life decisions with too little signal and not enough trusted people in the room? Timestamps * 00:00 - Introduction & Ken Webre * 02:19 - Ken’s Role at W-Industries * 03:41 - Energy Infrastructure, Not Ideology * 07:23 - Listening, Sales & Learning the Business * 10:22 - Louisiana Projects & Community Leadership * 13:06 - Batteries, Transmission & Grid Resilience * 17:36 - Joining the Navy & Early Service * 24:38 - Transitioning Out & Finding Electrical Work * 27:15 - Leadership, Motivation & Feeling Lost * 29:57 - Project Vanguard, Curiosity & Trusted Guidance * 32:37 - Honesty, Ownership & Why Veterans Succeed * 34:02 - Louisiana Event, Slack Community & Wrap-Up Resources People & Organizations: * Ken Webre (LinkedIn) * W-Industries (Website - LinkedIn) * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) Company & Industry News * W-Industries launches OASIS for Onshore Automation Solutions for Intelligent Systems * W-Industries expands Houston footprint at Champions Park Business Center * POWERGEN 2026 Conference Program Related Podcasts by Project Vanguard * Reality Always Collects the Bill with John Broschak * Energy Needs a New Pitch, Veterans Are It * From QRF to the Grid: Why Veterans Belong in America’s Energy Mission Related Substack Posts by Kevin * Your Next Mission: America’s Energy Future * Veterans in Energy & Infrastructure * Coalition Sign-On Letter: Veterans for Energy Dominance Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    37 min
  6. Building Energy From Experience with Jon Powers

    MAR 12

    Building Energy From Experience with Jon Powers

    A lot of veterans leave the military knowing they can lead, solve problems, and operate under pressure, but not always knowing where those skills fit next. That is the center of this conversation with Jon Powers, the Co-Founder of Clean Capital. This episode is not just a walk through one man’s resume. It is a look at how military experience can turn into energy leadership, and why that matters far beyond one career path. Jon talks through the road from Iraq to Washington, from Operation Free to CleanCapital, and how the national security case for energy became real to him long before it became a talking point. What makes this one worth your time is that it stays grounded. Jon is not speaking in abstractions. He is talking about fuel convoys, solar on base, propane shortages, and the kind of practical energy problems that stop feeling theoretical the moment people’s lives depend on them. That is where the conversation gets its weight. It also lines up cleanly with a core Project Vanguard idea: veterans are credible messengers in energy not because they have the slickest talking points, but because they have lived close to the consequences of bad systems and fragile infrastructure. Project Vanguard’s broader case is that veterans can help move the conversation past purity politics and toward energy security, workforce opportunity, and all-of-the-above realism. This episode gives that argument a real human spine. A few threads run through the whole discussion: * how service can translate into leadership in a new industry * why energy becomes a national security issue long before it becomes a political one * where veterans may be underestimating how valuable their skills really are The part I would not give away too cheaply is Jon’s advice to veterans looking at the industry now. It is simple, but it cuts against the hesitation a lot of people carry when they leave the military and try to picture themselves in finance, development, or leadership roles. If you care about veteran transition, American energy, or how serious people actually build second careers with purpose, this one earns the listen. Timestamps * 00:00 - Introduction & Jon Powers * 01:31 - Kevin Johnson and the Early Network * 02:46 - Operation Free and John Warner * 10:16 - From Pentagon to CleanCapital * 15:37 - Why Jon Joined the Army * 17:05 - Coming Home and Path to Movies * 20:10 - Working With Iraqi Youth * 22:56 - How Middle East War Shaped Their Energy View * 25:14 - Advice for Veterans Entering Energy * 29:49 - Veteran Networks and Honest Translation Resources People & Organizations * Jon Powers (LinkedIn) * CleanCapital (Website - LinkedIn) * Kevin Doffing (LinkedIn) * Project Vanguard (Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube) * Truman National Security Project (Website) * Operation Free at Truman National Security Project (Website) Company & Industry News * CleanCapital Secures $300M HoldCo Facility with Infranity (Website) * CleanCapital Acquires 64 Solar and Energy Storage Projects From Greenbacker (Website) * US clean power groups turn to longer deals to finance growth (Reuters) * Solar and storage accounted for 84% of new US power added in 2024, report says (Reuters) Books & Articles Discussed * Gunner Palace (Website) * Veterans push for climate bill with new Operation Free coalition (Grist) Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    33 min
  7. Landmen, Data Centers, and Hard Truths with Rickey Stuchell

    MAR 4

    Landmen, Data Centers, and Hard Truths with Rickey Stuchell

    Most people argue energy like it’s a scoreboard. But the work lives somewhere else, out in the counties, across kitchen tables, inside contracts that feel longer than a deployment. In this episode, Rickey Stuchell breaks down the side of the industry that decides whether anything ever gets built. The land side. Energy parks are the new chess move Rickey describes a model that feels like a next-phase strategy: developers bundling generation, storage, and data center load onto the same massive footprint. Not a single project, more like an ecosystem with fences. Why not go purchase or lease 2,000 acres where they can build a solar farm or a wind farm, put battery storage on it, and then add four or five million square feet of data center. - Rickey Stuchell What a land team really is (and why veterans fit) Rickey breaks the land team into three roles, and it maps cleanly onto how veterans already think: * Agents: boots on the ground with landowners * Project managers: orchestrating the negotiation and the chaos * Technicians: the document pros who keep everything correct (and keep everyone honest) This is not a “paperwork job.” It’s relationship and pressure work, and you hear that in how he recruits. Sometimes he hires experience. Rickey’s why is simple: helping vets find their next mission. And the advice Rickey gives is the stuff that actually works:Listen first. Learn the acronyms. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Final Thoughts If you want to understand why projects stall, why timelines slip, and why the loudest online takes usually miss the point, this episode is for you. The land side is where the work gets done. Rickey lives there, and he explains it in plain language, with the kind of calm confidence you only get from doing the job. If you’re a veteran eyeing the industry, or a civilian who wants a clearer view of how this actually happens, go listen. And if you’ve ever had to earn trust across a table, you’ll recognize the skillset immediately. Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    30 min
  8. Veterans, Policy, and the Hidden Energy Battlefield with Michael Dunn

    FEB 25

    Veterans, Policy, and the Hidden Energy Battlefield with Michael Dunn

    Most people think clean energy is about technology. It is not. Or at least not only that. It is about who understands systems, who can navigate policy, and who can bring unlikely groups into the same room. In this episode of Project Vanguard, I talk with Michael Dunn, a veteran who stumbled into clean energy through necessity, curiosity, and a relentless habit of saying yes. Michael did not set out to work in policy or markets. He joined the military to pay for school.He entered consulting to find direction.He moved into clean energy because it was one of the few spaces where mission, economics, and national security intersect. Along the way, he discovered something most energy conversations miss: Power does not shift because of slogans.It shifts because of coordination. The conversation explores why veterans are uniquely positioned to influence the energy transition, how policy quietly shapes every market decision, and why coalition building may be more important than any single technology. At its core, this episode is not about career advice or clean energy optimism. It is about leverage. Who has it.How it is built.And why the next decade of energy will be shaped less by engineers and more by people who understand how systems actually move. If you want to understand how power really flows through the energy industry, this episode is worth your time. Timestamps * 00:05 – Why Veterans Matter in Energy * 02:20 – Michael’s Entry into Energy Policy * 03:20 – CELI and Fellowship Opportunities * 05:20 – Working at Qcells, Policy in Practice * 07:22 – Coalition Building in DC * 12:00 – Dropping Out and Enlisting * 14:26 – Military as Social Mobility * 16:06 – Education While Serving * 18:12 – Georgetown MBA to Energy Career * 22:33 – Atlantic Council and Strategic Focus * 27:50 – Advice for Veterans Breaking In * 30:00 – Using Project Vanguard Effectively * 34:57 – Closing Thoughts and Call to Action Resources Guest & Company * Michael Dunn - LinkedIn * QCells - LinkedIn Topics Discussed * LG Energy Solution signs contract with Hanwha QCells to supply 5GWh ESS battery * Atlantic Council: Veterans Advanced Energy Fellowship * CELI - The Clean Energy Leadership Institute Get full access to Project Vanguard at media.projectvanguard.com/subscribe

    35 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast about leadership, energy, and service — told by the veterans shaping America’s Energy Dominance. Project Vanguard brings raw, mission-first conversations with those who’ve led in the military and continue to serve their country, building our energy future. Real stories. Clear insight. Focused on an All of the Above energy strategy where Energy Security is National Security. media.projectvanguard.com

Information

  • Creator
    Kevin Doffing
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kevin Doffing
  • Show Website
    Project Vanguard Podcast