Interview with James Scott, Vice President of Project Development at OCI Energy
I recently had the opportunity to interview James Scott, Vice President of Project Development at OCI Energy in San Antonio, Texas. With nearly three decades of experience in the renewable energy industry, he was able to walk me through how the sector has evolved over time, while also explaining the key principles that remain essential across technologies such as solar and wind. Our conversation also helped me better understand how energy companies operate and the business de
4 days ago1 min read
Wave Energy: The Renewable Giant Engineers Are Still Trying to Tame
Wave energy is becoming an important part of the future of renewable energy because it uses the ocean, one of the most powerful natural forces on Earth. Instead of relying only on solar panels or wind turbines, wave energy systems are designed to capture the constant motion of ocean waves and turn it into electricity. This is important because waves carry a large amount of energy, especially near coastlines, and they are often more predictable than wind or sunlight. If engine
Jun 152 min read
Self-Healing Concrete: Infrastructure That Repairs Itself
Self-healing concrete is becoming an important part of the future of infrastructure because it changes how structures respond to damage. Instead of waiting for cracks to spread through bridges, roads, tunnels, or buildings, self-healing concrete is designed to repair small cracks before they become major structural problems. This matters because concrete is used almost everywhere, and even small cracks can allow water, salt, and chemicals to enter and weaken the material over
May 282 min read
Photonics and the Future of Sustainable Data Centers
Photonics is becoming an important part of the future of data centers because it changes how information moves. Instead of solely relying on electrical signals through copper wires, photonics uses light to transmit data more efficiently. This matters because data centers are growing quickly as AI, cloud computing, and digital services require more computing power. On the technical side, silicon photonics works by building tiny light-based pathways onto computer chips. Instead
Apr 262 min read
Ecotone Renewables: Podcast with CEO Dylan Lew
I had the opportunity of interviewing Dylan Lew, the CEO of Ecotone Renewables based out of Pittsburgh. In this podcast we talked about Ecotone's impact, its growth, future goals, and several other topics. Listen to the podcast above to learn more! One of the biggest flaws in our current waste system is that we treat food scraps like trash instead of a resource. This mindset is inefficient, expensive, and environmentally damaging. Ecotone Renewables challenges that mindset. T
Feb 161 min read
Flint Hills Resources: Leading Solar Integration in the Oil Industry
Flint Hills Resources has taken notable steps to integrating renewable energy into its oil refining operations signaling a shift in how traditional energy companies approach electricity use. Through adding on site solar generation, the company reduces its reliance on the grid while making itself more energy self-sufficient. In Corpus Christi, Texas, Flint Hills is installing just under 57,000 solar panels across 100 acres of land which will help provide power to the Corpus Ch
Jan 41 min read
Interview with Dr. Carey King, Assistant Director/Research Scientist at UT Austin's Energy Institute
I'm incredibly grateful to share the conversation I had with Dr. Carey King of the Energy Institute at UT Austin. We focused on the trade-offs of integrating renewable energy into the grid, engineering challenges, lessons from the past, and emerging renewable energy technology. Among other topics, I learned about the Jevons paradox which I found especially interesting. It explains that as technology makes something more efficient, the world ends up using more of it, not less.
Nov 17, 20251 min read
