Energypreneurs

Hosted by Sohail Hasnie

Business Entrepreneurship Technology

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Episodes

330

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Energypreneurs is a podcast that brings solar power, electric vehicles and battery technologies to young entrepreneurs. Sohail Hasnie, our host, is a firm believer that the solution to climate change lies in these technologies, which will also fundamentally change the way we think about electricity and transportation—on road, on water and even on air. Over the last 35 years, Sohail has applied technology and innovation in many large infrastructure projects across Australasia. As a staff of the Asian Development Bank since 2001, he has developed large investment projects with solar power, battery, and electric vehicles across Asia.

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60 recent

June 15, 2026Episode 32941 min

E330: Everything You Think Is the Future Already Happened Here

John Lin grew up Dutch-Chinese, worked strategy at the Netherlands' biggest e-commerce company, and spent years telling his McKinsey colleagues that everything they called "the future of commerce" had already happened in China. Nobody listened. He was right. He now does 50 keynotes a year telling European boardrooms the same thing about EVs, AI, and energy. In this conversation, Xiaomi built a car factory in 180 days and took 200,000 pre-orders in 3 minutes for a car nobody had seen. AI agents ordered 10 million bubble teas in nine hours. Driverless cars with blue light indicators are on the streets right now. And a $70,000 phone-brand EV just demolished a $1 million Ferrari at the drag strip. The quartz crisis is coming for every industry. The question is which side of it you're on. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

June 10, 2026Episode 23051 min

Hydrogen Is Dying. Here's What the Data Actually Says | Ep 230 | Michael Barnard [Re-edited]

Originally published as Episode 230 — this conversation has only become more relevant since. Michael Barnard is a climate futurist who builds decade-by-decade projections of the energy transition through 2100. He doesn't claim to be right. He claims to be less wrong than most. In this episode: why hydrogen demand will fall, not rise — and why the narrative that sustained it for a decade is now collapsing. We also cover Pakistan's 22 gigawatt rooftop solar surprise, battery swapping for two and three-wheelers, containerized batteries sailing fully charged from China to Rotterdam, and why V2G is a rounding error for 90% of the world. The 2035 hydrogen study from Sweden's RISE Institute says it all: hydrogen won't pencil out for road transport — anywhere. Denial is also a river in Egypt. Watch the original: https://youtu.be/m0pXZsTjGqg?si=2h2fbLv8VRo_wH63 Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

June 7, 2026Episode 32947 min

E329: From Cooking With Gas to Cooking With Batteries

Hamish McKenzie is Deputy Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Grattan Institute. His team just published a landmark report on Australia's gas transition — and the findings are stark. Gas use has peaked across every sector. In the National Electricity Market, gas generation is down 61% since 2014 and now just 4% of the grid. More households are leaving the gas network than joining it for the first time ever. The bigger problem isn't that gas is declining. It's that nobody is managing the decline — no legal definition of decommissioning, no coordinated phase-out plan, and networks shutting down with six months notice. We also cover V2G, the home battery boom, hydrogen's real use case, and why Australia is the most advanced country in the world on household energy transition. Cooking with gas used to mean everything was fine. Times have changed. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

June 4, 2026Episode 32646 min

E328: The Duck Curve Is Dying. Here's What Replaced It

Jess Hunt has spent 25 years redesigning electricity markets. She was involved in the Hornsdale Big Battery — the world's first grid-scale battery — and now consults for governments and regulators across Australia. In this conversation: the duck curve is dying, eight-hour battery storage is making gas redundant, and South Australia's latest firming tender went entirely to batteries. Gas companies weren't successful. We also get into free electricity, $23 per kilowatt-hour price spikes, and why your EV could pay for dinner on a peak demand night. South Australia is the world's renewable energy laboratory. Here's what they've learned. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

June 1, 2026Episode 32722 min

E327: Why Is the Energy Transition Inevitable? | Energypreneurs Masterclass Ep 1

Why is the energy transition inevitable? Not just desirable, but inevitable. In this first module of the Energypreneurs Masterclass, I curated five conversations from 300+ episodes to answer that question. You'll hear from a trucking entrepreneur, a clean energy analyst, a physicist, and an InsurTech founder, each telling the same story from a completely different angle. This masterclass is free for 3 months. 8 modules total. Hosted by Sohail Hasnie, 40 years in the power sector, former Asian Development Bank energy specialist. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

May 27, 2026Episode 32647 min

E326: The Technology is Ready. So Why Hasn't it Scaled?

The Philippines imports $15 billion worth of oil every year. 4 million tricycles burn a significant share of it. Paul Johnston is the CEO of Pure EV, 350 electric tricycles operating across the Philippines, 92% utilisation, drivers taking home 30% more income. The technology works. The numbers work. We go into the unit economics, the financing barriers, the charging infrastructure, and why converting Jeepneys is a maths problem and not a technology problem. The question is want. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

May 25, 2026Episode 32547 min

E325: Never Waste a Good Crisis

The Philippines has one of the best renewable energy laws in the world, one of the highest electricity tariffs relative to income, and 278 island communities still running on diesel. Something doesn't add up. Ruth Yu Owen — CEO of UpGrade Energy Philippines, chair of two national energy committees, and one of the most connected people in Philippine clean energy — joins Sohail to explain why political will is the only variable that matters, and why this crisis might finally supply it. Solar. Batteries. EVs. The technology is ready. The question is whether the Philippines moves in months or decades. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

May 20, 2026Episode 32451 min

E324: Bottom-Up Development: Lessons from Bangladesh

In this episode, our guests are Sayeed and Zahir, two experienced engineers and infrastructure specialists who discuss Bangladesh's development journey across water, transport, urban planning, and renewable energy. The conversation explores lessons from large infrastructure projects, the importance of bottom-up development, the future of solar energy in Bangladesh, and how small entrepreneurs and informal businesses continue to drive economic growth and social impact. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

May 17, 2026Episode 32353 min

E323: Solar, Batteries and the End of the Power Bill

South Australia is producing 150% of its electricity demand from solar. Australia installed 10% of global battery capacity in a single month — for a country that represents 1% of the world's population. Something extraordinary is happening down under, and Daniel Perotti is in the middle of it. Daniel leads future mobility and electrification projects at RAA, South Australia's automobile club. In this conversation we explore why energy is heading toward free and abundant, how electric vehicles and rooftop solar are becoming one system, and what it means when your car becomes your power plant. We also get into autonomous driving, the death of range anxiety, and why the petrol car may be unsellable within a decade. If you think the energy transition is still decades away, this episode will change your mind. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

May 13, 2026Episode 3221 hr 7 min

E322: Why You Must Never Cross Your Own Line | Raju Mandhyan

In this episode of the Energypreneurs Podcast, Raju Mandhyan discusses authentic influence, leadership, and staying true to your values in a rapidly changing world. Raju shares powerful personal stories and practical insights on what it means to influence others ethically, make difficult decisions, and draw clear boundaries in life and work. The conversation also explores the role of storytelling, the impact of artificial intelligence, and why authenticity matters more than ever. If you're interested in leadership, personal growth, and meaningful influence, this episode offers timeless lessons you can apply immediately. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs

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