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“the Who’s Who list of the global energy industry”
The annual CERAweek hosted in Houston, TX by S&P Global has been hailed as “the Davos for Energy” by some, so in March I attended the conference to see whether there would be much focus on the Energy Transition. To my great surprise there was much discussion indeed, and they even featured a fascinating panel that included past podcast guest, Jigar Shah, on the talent gap of the Transition. It was wholly unexpected to find not just hallway chatter but many of the formal event panels discussing the role of the various industries and participants in the Energy Transition. Sure, there was a lot more talk of molecules than electrons, but on the whole there seemed to be a great sense of anticipation that the industry is on the precipice of something extraordinary.
In light of this, I had the opportunity to meet with @John Berger, CEO of @Sunnova Energy, and we discussed the reality of being a clean energy prophet in the heart of #OilandGas country. John’s been a #solar and finance pioneer in the industry for the last 15+ years and has roots originally in the Oil & Gas sector, so I wanted to hear from him first-hand what kinds of conversations he is engaging in (or not) lately with his colleagues from “across the aisle”.
The answers are insightful and give me hope that the “us vs them” narrative is dwindling. Hear John today as he discusses what he most often has to overcome, where he agrees with his colleagues in Oil & Gas, and what he sees as a necessary elements of the conversation if we have a chance of doing the good we all desire.
We truly are all in this together, and #CERAweek helped me really see that there is no us versus them in the energy transition. Listen in and learn what one of the solar industry’s leading executives has to say on the subject.
Profound thanks to the Sunnova team for helping line up this in-person with John. Looking forward to bring you all a longform convo with John soon. Till then, let me know what you think of today’s episode.
Bless.
~Nico
Timestamps
(3:17) What is CERAweek?
(5:31) How John engages with his colleagues in the gas & oil industry
(8:39) Pushbacks from the oil & gas industry
(11:46) Agreements with the oil & gas industry
(17:08) The largest impediments that need to be addressed
(20:56) Where are the alternative energy jobs right now?
(24:23) What is Sunnova doing in the area of workforce development
(25:59) How Sunnova developed an enormous bilingual staff
(27:13) Transferable skills from the oil & gas industry to renewables
(29:33) Wrap up
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“Yes, climate change is real. It’s a real human emergency. But there’s some practical limitations and realities.”
“It’s not going to be the big integrated oils that are going to solve this problem. It’s going to be the startups out there, many of which I think are probably listening to your podcast now.”
Thanks again to this week's sponsors, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!
SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.