Energy Terminal

Hosted by Michael Wood, Hope Pratt, and Chloe Young

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Jun 2026

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About the show

A platform dedicated to building the next generation of energy leaders. Energy Terminal seeks to build connections between energy experts and the next generation of energy leaders through conversations focused on career paths and advice. Each episode, we'll bring on an expert in the industry to talk about their career, where they think the industry is heading, and what advice they have for those just getting started. Energy Terminal is sponsored by Energy Dialogues.

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June 15, 2026Episode 2924 min

SPARK Episode 29: Anurag Kamal

Anurag Kamal is the Co-Founder and CEO of ElectricFish Energy, an energy storage and infrastructure provider. ElectricFish provides EV charging and grid resiliency services to its customers and has deployed its infrastructure at installations across the United States. The company is backed by Techstars, Greentown Labs, Google and Newlab, among others. During the show, Anurag explains why the grid is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation and how ElectricFish is enabling this transition. He shares what differentiates ElectricFish from a traditional EV charging company and the role that batteries play in improving uptime for his customers. Anurag discusses what founders need to do maximize their experience with incubators and accelerators and entrepreneurial lessons he has learned while building ElectricFish. And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

June 3, 202628 min

SPARK Episode 28: Stwart Pena Feliz

Stwart Pena Feliz is the Co-Founder and CEO of MacroCycle, a hard tech startup developing novel PET and polyester waste upcycling technologies. Stwart, along with his Co-Founder Jan-Georg Rosenboom, started MacroCycle while they were students at MIT. MacroCycle has received the backing of Breakthrough Energy, Clean Energy Ventures and The Engine. In the episode, Stwart shares how MacroCycle's ring chain chemistry allows for the company to dramatically improve the economics of recycling. He also shares how he built the world-class team of scientists and engineers at MacroCycle, explains how his experience as an engineer at ExxonMobil helps him build MacroCycle and provides advice for founders looking to receive the most value out of startup accelerator and incubator programs. For college students, Stwart discusses the best steps to take for creating a career of impact. And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

May 26, 2026Episode 2721 min

SPARK Episode 27: Navy McKee

Navy McKee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kai Pono Solutions, the developer of a patented wastewater treatment system that removes trash, chemicals and sediment from stormwater runoff. Navy founded Kai Pono Solutions during her Senior year at San Diego State University after realizing the role that innovation can play in cleaning up our waterways. Kai Pono Solutions has been accepted in multiple prominent Blue Tech accelerators, including SeaAhead's BlueSwell program and the StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. Navy shares about her journey founding Kai Pono Solutions as well as the many iteration cycles needed to refine their product. She provides insights into why water is overlooked and underinvested as a vertical and the society-wide implications of failing to properly manage our water resources. We discuss how to find your niche as a young entrepreneur and strategies to gain credibility as an innovator in more traditional and risk-adverse industries. And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

April 22, 2026Episode 2624 min

SPARK Episode 26: Dylan Gretok

Dylan Gretok is Founder and CEO at Seagull EcoChem, while also earning his degree in chemical engineering, economics, and entrepreneurship at North Carolina State University. Inspired by his passion for the environment, Dylan is building a more sustainable future by commercializing a seaweed-derived plastics packaging replacement, which he hopes will remove the green premium on packaging alternatives and drive mass adoption. His work is supported by beVisioneers, the Mercedes-Benz Fellowship, and by NC State's Innovation and Entrepreneurship department. Dylan shares with us his founding journey at Seagull, why he believes his technology is well positioned to displace existing, environmentally harmful materials, and how he overcomes challenges as a student entrepreneur. We also discuss his love of the outdoors, how students can persevere in the face of adversity, and staying grounded while juggling multiple competing commitments. And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

March 11, 2026Episode 5324 min

Episode 53: The Missing Marketplace - How to Unlock Distributed Energy Flexibility

James Johnston is a PhD-turned-entrepreneur who has spent the last 12 years building toward a single thesis: that energy markets need to be redesigned from the ground up for a distributed future. This venture, Piclo, is the first Distribute Energy Resource (DER) flexibility marketplace in the United States. The global energy transition has an infrastructure problem. Building new transmission lines and generation capacity takes years — queues are long, supply chains are strained, and the economy can't wait. Meanwhile, we are in the wake of the AI boom where data centers are multiplying, electricity demand is surging, and affordability is becoming a political crisis. The answer, according to James, is unlocking the power of distributed energy resources. DER — batteries, solar, controllable loads, and other small-scale assets — is the lowest-cost, fastest way to build energy infrastructure. But unlocking its potential requires more than just deploying the technology. It requires the markets, systems, and procurement mechanisms to match. That's the gap Piclo was built to fill. Piclo's flexibility marketplace connects utilities and hyperscalers with DER owners, operators, and aggregators through an open, competitive platform. Instead of utilities prescribing specific technologies through patchwork bilateral programs, they post a need — capacity, demand response, location, timeframe — and let the market respond. The result is better prices, more competition, and a critical mass of liquidity that bilateral contracting can never achieve. Tune in to learn why the era of DER has finally arrived. Keynotes: Why data center load growth is forcing utilities to rethink how they procure energy What it takes to build a two-sided marketplace in a regulated industry How a marketplace model unlocks competition, liquidity, and lower costs for DER And much more Book Recommendation from the Show: Amory Lovins' Small is Profitable

February 27, 2026Episode 2526 min

SPARK Episode 25: Adam Cowie-Haskell

Adam Cowie-Haskell is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), where he focuses on electricity markets within BPC's Energy Program. His energy interest is in improving regulation, enhancing efficiency and lower costs in wholesale electricity markets throughout the United States. In 2025, he co-authored a report for the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability calling for greater load flexibility as a solution to accommodate large load growth. The report has been cited in multiple Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state proceedings. Adam tells us about the critical role that policy plays in the proper functioning of electricity markets. He walks the audience through the history of wholesale market restructuring and the new challenges that the electric power systems in an era of rising load growth. Adam provides an overview of current policy proposals designed to lower the cost of electricity for residential customers and discusses what reforms are needed to catalyze lasting change. Adam also shares his advice to students looking to break into electric power markets and improve their quantitative skills. And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

April 7, 202521 min

SPARK Episode 24: Eshaan Agrawal

Eshaan Agrawal is a Business Analyst at McKinsey & Co. who formerly served in the Office of Technology Transitions at the Department of Energy (DOE). His energy interest is routed in climate impact, and he started off in college by focusing on environmental actions related to air pollution in his local community. Eshaan tells us about why he chose to start his career at DOE rather than alternative options, and then describes the different components of his role, such as authoring the Innovative Grid Deployment Liftoff Report and developing the pathway to commercial liftoff for critical energy transition technologies. Throughout the episode, he shares advice on career decision making, exciting areas of the energy sector, and more. Keynotes: - Energy work through the government - Figuring out how to maximize impact and make strategic career decisions - Exciting topics within energy And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

March 6, 202530 min

52. Materials Innovation for the Energy Transition

Bryan Hassin is a serial energy entrepreneur with multiple successful exits. His latest challenge? Creating high-performance materials for a low-carbon world as the CEO of DexMat. The global energy transition is not just about deploying renewables and electrifying everything—it's also about rethinking the fundamental materials we use to build everything around us. Traditional materials like copper, steel, and aluminum come with significant carbon footprints, supply chain vulnerabilities, and physical limitations that impact scalability. Innovations in advanced materials can unlock higher efficiencies, lower costs, and more sustainable pathways for clean energy technologies. DexMat is at the forefront of this revolution, pioneering Galvorn, a carbon-based material that can replace metals while offering superior conductivity, strength, and flexibility—all with a negative carbon footprint. In a world racing to decarbonize and electrify, materials like these could be game-changers for industries ranging from EVs to grid infrastructure. Bryan brings decades of experience leading and scaling energy technology startups. Prior to DexMat, he co-founded Third Derivative, one of the largest climate-tech accelerators, where he assembled an ecosystem of corporate partners and investors, facilitating $2.5B+ in funding for 200+ climatetech startups. Tune in to learn more about the most fundamental challenges facing the energy industry, where we need the greatest innovations in materials, and insights on company building from a successful serial entrepreneur. Keynotes: Why an energy transition can't happen without a materials transition How we bring scientific innovations from the lab to the market How DexMat's carbon-negative Galvorn is poised to disrupt copper, steel, aluminum, and more What lessons from the computing revolution we can apply to materials innovation And much more Book Recommendations from the Show: The Exponential Age Material World And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

February 12, 202536 min

SPARK Episode 23: Gabe Malek

Gabe Malek describes himself as a passionate Texan focused on a transition to a more sustainable economy. And as a rapidly-rising young professional in the energy industry, he's certainly living up to that description and more. Originally from Houston, Texas, Gabe grew up around the energy industry, which played a fundamental role in shaping his outlook on the future of energy. While studying at Yale, he refined his interests in a human-centered approach to the energy transition with a focus on finance, which led him to roles at EDF and as Chief of Staff to Mark Carney. He then joined Fervo Energy as the company's Chief of Staff, and helped guide the company's growth as it raised more than $300MM, brought pilots online, and struck deals with companies including Google. He's now studying law at Stanford. In the episode, we cover the inflection points that have shaped his career, the value of mentorship, what he learned as Fervo grew from 30 people to more than 120, why he believes in a human-centric approach to the energy transition, and much more. Keynotes: - The benefits of a human-centric approach to the energy transition - The most important criteria for choosing your next career opportunity - Why there is no substitute for operational experience and what you'll learn - And much more And follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/

January 28, 2025Episode 5126 min

Episode 51: Fostering Collaborative Conversations on the Energy Transition with Mona Dajani

Today, we are thrilled to welcome the incredible Mona Dajani to the show. Mona serves as the Global Co-head of Energy, Infrastructure, Hydrogen, Mobility, Renewables, and Water at Baker Botts. She is also an ambassador for the US Department of Energy's C3E initiative and a regular news correspondent on energy transition topics. Through her extensive career in clean energy, Mona has witnessed the evolution of global opinions on this issue. Mona believes that the way we engage in conversations about energy is pivotal to advancing the energy transition. These discussions can often be polarizing, making it essential to find common ground. As someone deeply experienced in navigating these challenging conversations, Mona shares how she approaches the topic with openness and gratitude, even when engaging with diverse leaders and stakeholders. Tune in to learn from Mona's insights on fostering productive and impactful dialogue about the energy transition and how we can all contribute to meaningful progress. Keynotes: Dealing with polarized opinions on energy The importance of having technical conversations with those from a non-technical background The evolution of the energy transition, and opinions surrounding it Resources mentioned: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Department of Energy (DOE) Follow us on: Newsletter: https://www.energy-terminal.com/newsletter-signup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-terminal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energyterminal/ Check out Energy Dialogues: https://energy-dialogues.com