Power Flow

In this episode, Amy and Ali discuss lithium mining and how it affects the clean energy future.

Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution.

Together, Ali and Amy explore the split between mobility/electric vehicles and stationary batteries, the supply and demand of minerals (including the rising cost of lithium and the importance of recycling) as well as lithium extraction technology, and lithium vs other chemistries, like vanadium oxide, in addition to how much the grid can actually support.

According to Ali, “Batteries, in essence, are going to fuel the growth of everything.”

*A correction: The Mercedes car mentioned got 1000 km (621 miles) on a single charge, not 1000 miles.

Quotes

“We need to bring more resources online to help fuel this electrification.” – Ali Haji

“Ultimately with today’s prices, it’s clear and evident there is a massive supply chain gap that needs to be filled in order for us to carry on down this path of the clean energy revolution.” – Ali Haji

“Education is paramount. People don’t realize the importance of mining and what it’s doing to allow us to move towards this revolution. It’s an integral part of essentially everything we do, yet as far as I can remember, no one in school ever learned about mining.” – Ali Haji

“Moving into a future where we can view mining through an environmental lens and an ethical lens is going to be important in the future.” – Amy Simpkins

“Mining is a big part of everything that we do, whether we like it or not, but the best way to move forward is to educate people on its importance, but also ensure that we’re doing it sustainably.” – Ali Haji

“The fact that people are starting to think about where their energy comes from, where the equipment is coming from, where the raw materials that goes into that equipment is coming from signals a positive shift and makes me, in spite of all evidence, optimistic.” – Amy Simpkins

About/Connect

Ali Haji is the CEO of ION Energy - a leader in the exploration and development of lithium salars within Mongolia and a strong pioneer in the third wave of the green energy revolution. Since 2019 the company has been aggressively growing its assets in its extensive growth strategy through acquiring new resources and sites.

Website: https://www.ionenergy.ca/

You can connect with Ion Energy on Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, check out our awesome merch! 

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 Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

On this episode’s one year anniversary, we are sharing for the first time our recording from the LIVE episode with Julia Hamm on her last days as the founder of Solar Power International (now RE+) and President and CEO of SEPA. This episode was recorded at RE+ in September 2022.

Quotes:

“We all want to accelerate this transition as fast as possible but we cannot do it in a way that sacrifices reliability or affordability or resiliency and most certainly not equity.” 
– Julia Hamm

“All players – no matter where they sit in the value chain – are going to have to partner in ways that they’ve never partnered before… there needs to be a lot more intentionality about understanding where other players are coming from and then partnering with them in order to achieve common objectives.” 
– Julia Hamm

 “Utilities are going to have to partner in an unprecedented way going forward.” – Julia Hamm

“Rest is revolutionary. Rest is innovative.” – Amy Simpkins

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Jennifer Gray Thompson is a lifelong resident of Sonoma Valley in Northern California. She attended Santa Rosa Junior College and graduated from Dominican University in 2001 with degrees in English and History. After teaching high school for 10 years, Jennifer went on to earn a master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. Post graduate school, Jennifer worked for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

She is the CEO of After the Fire, an initiative of 501c3 nonprofit Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), which was founded after the devastating fires in the North Bay of San Francisco in October 2017. RNBF is an organization dedicated to helping the region rebuild better, greener, safer, and faster. In summer of 2021, RNBF created After the Fire USA in response to the prevalence of massive megafires in response to climate change and wildland imbalances. Our tagline remains “Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.”

Jennifer is nationally recognized as a leader in the space of wildfire and has presented at several national conferences on the issue by invitation of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, HAC, Fannie Mae, Brownsfield, Smart Cities, FEMA, and many more. She is cofounder of CANVAS, an association of professional leaders in disaster working together to “listen locally, act regionally, reform nationally.”

Jennifer is the creator and host of the How to Disaster podcast, which highlights proven and effective leaders with great ideas in the space of disaster. She is on the board of directors of La Luz Center, a nonprofit serving primarily the Latino community in Sonoma Valley.

Jennifer interviewed Amy Simpkins on How to Disaster on Enhancing Equity and Sustainability back in September of 2021.

Quotables

“Every single community can recover at the same rate as another community if they are offered the right tools and capacity and funding and support.” - Jennifer Gray Thompson

“Energy is also an ecosystem.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

"What is good for the ecology is good for the economy." – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“The renewal of faith in humanity is really common in disaster places.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“The American culture is very good in a crisis and is very good at stepping in with heroics in a crisis. But what we’re bad at culturally is taking responsibility for our neighbors and our communities prior to the crisis.” – Amy Simpkins

“Disaster is a great leveler and a great teacher.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

“There is a way forward and I believe clean energy is at the center of that.” – Jennifer Gray Thompson

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Trained as an architect, Jordana is passionate about socially-driven multidisciplinary projects that advance climate resilience and social justice. Currently, she is the Manager for Climate Resilience & Equity at Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities). At R-Cities, she focuses on supporting cities in developing actions and implementation projects with climate resilience and equity lens.

Prior to her work at R-Cities, she worked at Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex), developing BE-Ex's industry resources in response to climate change. Before BE-Ex, she worked as a sustainability consultant and community development officer providing high-performance technical assistance and development aid for Hurricane Sandy's multifamily recovery and resiliency efforts.

She graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelors in Architecture, and is a LEED Green Associate. She holds certifications from the Environmental Leadership Program and the Global Leadership Human Impacts Institute.

Lastly, in 2019 she launched and co-founded Women of Color Collective in Sustainability (WOC/CS) - the only global digital collective and community that is 100% dedicated to advancing women of color working across the sustainability industry. Since then the community has brought together over 5,000 women of color through virtual and in-person events, social media channels, a digital community, and online publication.

Referenced episode Episode 2.03 On Intentionality & Intersections in Energy with Melanie Santiago-Mosier

Quotables

“What does resilience actually mean?” – Amy Simpkins

“The way I would define resiliency would be threefold: the ability to survive, the ability to adapt, and the ability to grow/thrive, no matter what kind of shocks and stresses.” – Jordana Vasquez

“The best thing you can do as an ally is listen. Don’t make assumptions.” – Jordana Vasquez

“Our reliance on fossil fuels for power and transportation needs to change.” – Jordana Vasquez

Jordana mentioned a quote by JFK: “Fix the roof while the sun is shining.”

“As communities, as cities, as a country, we are in a really unique position as a society to demand how we want to live in cities, how we want to power our cities, and how we want to prepare the next generation.” – Jordana Vasquez

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

A senior operations and finance executive, Claire Broido Johnson is the director of the University System of Maryland Momentum Fund. (MMF). She has a proven track record in creating and managing successful businesses and driving operations: including as founder of SunEdison and program executive at the Department of Energy during the Obama Administration.  At DOE, Claire guided the deployment of $11 billion in economic stimulus funds in 2009-2010 to improve the economy through the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
 
A bottom-line focused innovator, Claire also runs CBJ Energy where she developed an energy efficiency financing product for Serious Energy, launched new products and new states for Next Step Living, and managed energy projects and research for Katerra.  Recognized for financial and operational expertise, she currently serves on the boards of BlocPower.io,  the National Sierra Club Foundation, and Living Classrooms. Claire is also on the advisory board of Upsurge Baltimore, a Baltimore-based incubator, and a member of Blu Ventures network of early-stage DC/Baltimore investors 
 
Claire earned a B.A. in environmental science and public policy from Harvard College, where she helped to create that major, and an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.   

 Claire recommends Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino and Mark C Winters to supercharge your entrepreneurial efforts.

Quotables

“I think finally even the most unresponsive person is realizing that climate change is here and there need to be solutions.” – Claire Broido Johnson

“I think all of us who are mentors and who care about climate change have to support early stage startups with good ideas.” - Claire Broido Johnson

“I have believed for a long time that the way we do innovation in this country, in general, is broken.” – Amy Simpkins 

“I am trying to innovate the process of innovation.” – Amy Simpkins

“I move fast and break things.” – Claire Broido Johnson

“The small scrappy startups are here because we believe we can make a difference fundamentally.” – Amy Simpkins

“If you have one of those great ideas there’s no time like the present to find your mentor, fill your toolbox, and go make it happen because the world depends on you.” -Amy Simpkins


If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

 Dr. Veronika Wright is an electrification enthusiast, consultant, and author. She holds a PhD in Technical Physics from the Graz University of Technology in Austria and gained extensive industry experience in batteries and electrification before founding her own social enterprise, Electrified Veronika, in 2021.

With a passion for people and technology, she provides education, technical advice, and mentoring in battery lifecycle management for clean transportation and energy. Having grown up in Austria and now living in the US, she lives by the mantra, “it is 100% impossible if you don’t try,” and is passionate about sharing this global perspective on the world’s “Drive to Electric.”

Dr. Veronika's book: The Drive to Electric

Dr. Veronika's YouTube Channel

Electrified Veronika Podcast

Quotables

“We’re ten years in and we’re still calling [Electric Vehicles] nascent technology.” – Amy Simpkins

“[These regulations] will be driving the recycling of materials and will help turn this chaos we have right now into something we can track and hopefully into the circular economy.” -Dr. Veronika Wright

“The lack of the feedback loop, the lack of accountability is a really big issue across the industry.” – Amy Simpkins

“We need to bring together the transportation sector and the energy sector… it will then enable the circular economy.” – Dr. Veronika Wright

Resources

Dr. Veronika's book: The Drive to Electric

Dr. Veronika's YouTube Channel

Electrified Veronika Podcast

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Linda Khamoushian is a Los Angeles native, and a graduate of UC Berkeley and UCLA. She holds a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She currently serves as the Director of Shared Mobility at GRID Alternatives.

Previously, she worked as the Policy Director for the California Bicycle Coalition and as an urban planning researcher in health equity, environment, and transportation. She has over 15 years of experience in organizational development, public policy, and community engagement. She also has a strong passion for protecting and preserving the environment, and seeks opportunities to promote well-being of the planet and people.

Quotables

“Shared mobility is a very under-utilized tool in our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector.” – Linda Khamoushian

“You’re cutting off folks from economic opportunity by enforcing the carcentric idea.” – Linda Khamoushian

“Who are we designing for and how do we address outliers in a way that’s supportive of communities?” – Amy Simpkins

“We want to make sure that we’re not leaving anyone behind - in fact, that we’re including and inclusive and centering people at the forefront of this transition.” – Linda Khamoushian
 

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

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Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Chaun MacQueen oversees CE - Clean Energy. Bright Futures., a clean energy and career-connected education program at the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). She offers innovation and creative thinking in scaling the impact of CE’s work throughout the U.S.  Chaun has over 25 years of experience designing and managing environmental education and social impact programs in the U.S. and abroad for diverse audiences.

In September 2021 (and also in 2015 and in 2008), BEF’s CE program was selected for a Green Power Leadership Award for Leadership in Green Power Education, presented by Center for Resource Solutions and EPA.  CE began in 2002, originally called Solar 4R Schools, and they’re celebrating 20 years this year! 

Prior to working for BEF, Chaun worked as a Senior Analyst at The Cadmus Group, Inc. where she implemented and evaluated energy education programs and conducted process evaluations of utility energy efficiency programs in various states in the U.S. Chaun served as Program Director for Community Energy Project in Portland for nine years, where she managed energy education, water conservation and environmental health education, direct service, and professional training programs. She also has experience with stakeholder engagement, coalition building and startup of new social and environmental impact initiatives both stateside and abroad.

Chaun has an M.S. in environmental studies from the University of Oregon and she graduated from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a B.S in Natural Resource Management and Environment & Forest Biology. She also served as a community forestry Peace Corps Volunteer in Far-western Nepal (1997-1999).

Quotables

“The only way that innovation happens is by doing projects.” – Gregg Fraley

“I want to stay in my lane, but I don’t want to be stovepiped, either.” – Amy Simpkins

“These young people are going to help you remember why what you’re doing is so cool.” – Chaun MacQueen 

“Bringing it [knowledge of the energy grid] all more into the forefront and saying no it’s not boring and it’s not solved science and it’s not all figured out. This is very interesting, very cool, and ripe for innovation.” – Amy Simpkins

“My niece and nephew are going to have to think about car purchase in terms of kilowatt hours, not miles per gallon.” – Chaun MacQueen

“Energy literacy is changing and appreciation of not just energy but all the roles of the people doing it.” - Chaun MacQueen

“Those kids are one strategic plan away from joining you in the field already.” – Chaun MacQueen

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

Elizabeth Sendich is Lead Economic Modeler with the Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Macroeconomic and Emissions Team with the Office of Integrated & International Energy Analysis, and delights in the world of how and where things are made. She helps maintain EIA’s long-term international economic forecasts and enhances public understanding of important issues related to the industrial sector.

Before beginning work with EIA, Elizabeth studied chemical engineering at Michigan State University, finishing her BS in 2004 and her PhD in 2008, while working in the DOE-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Laboratory.  Her dissertation covered the development and results of her model to simulate biorefineries integrated with realistic agricultural landscapes as providers of feedstocks and other goods simultaneously.

In her free time, she enjoys video games and crochet, and she loves nature and "wild" animals, particularly her husband, daughter, and service-dog-in-training.

Quotables

"Someone's got to support the decision making with something that we can at least start with as a point of agreement, and data is a great place for that." – Elizabeth Sendich 

“Fusing these elegant models with human intuition is so powerful.” – Amy Simpkins

“We need data that is translated into information so that information can be translated into understanding.” - Elizabeth Sendich

Resources

You can find the data as legos image referenced in this episode on the Power Flow website (under "Resources.")

Referenced 2.04 with Nancy LaPlaca - the balance between simplicity and complexity (especially as regards data availability.)

Referenced future episode 2.08 with Chaun MacQueen (coming next week!) on energy education.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!

For this 20th Power Flow episode, we flip the script - Power Flow Creative Director, Laura Novak, interviews our erstwhile host, Amy Simpkins, putting her on the hot seat and giving her a dose of her own tough questions.

As co-founder and CEO at muGrid Analytics, Amy Simpkins solves wicked problems at the intersection of energy technology and economics using math and modeling. muGrid provides bankable techno-economic analysis, optimized control, and project development of renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrids to maximize economic return, increase energy resilience, and promote energy equity in the US and around the world.

Amy is also an internationally recognized speaker on innovation and iterative development for entrepreneurs. She is the author of Spiral: A Catalyst for Innovation and Expansion and host of the Power Flow Podcast, which amplifies diverse voices in the energy revolution.

Prior to muGrid, Amy designed and operated spacecraft as a Systems Engineer with Lockheed Martin. Her technical expertise includes system and software architecture, system-level performance modeling, and design tradespace analysis.

Amy holds an MS in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California and an SB in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is a messy chef, a world traveler, a taekwondo green belt, a vocal music minor, a mom to three curious innovators, and a tough cookie in the Colorado backcountry.

Quotables
All quotes by Amy Simpkins

“The drive for simplicity results in inefficiency.” 

“We said ‘yes, simplicity and stability at any cost.’ And when I say any cost, I mean any economic cost and at the cost of the planet in carbon emissions. And the trouble is, we can no longer say that.”

“I think we need to have more spaces that are devoted to free exchange of ideas without fear of competition.”

“The economic market is what’s going to drive the widespread change.” 

“Stability and efficiency at the cost of the planet is not acceptable.”

“We need to be able to take baby steps back from oversimplification, stovepiping, and this unwavering commitment to stability at any cost.”

“We are all interacting with the system. Whether you work in the industry or not, you live in it.”

Resources:

Connect with Amy on LinkedIn.

Check out muGrid’s website.

Connect with muGrid Analytics on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.

If you enjoyed the conversation, please share the episode with other innovators. Leave us a positive review and subscribe to Power Flow on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Check out our awesome merch! And hey, we’re new, so you can even apply to be a sponsor or a guest.

You can follow Power Flow Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Tik Tok. 

Thank you for listening. See you at the whiteboard!