SunCast

What does serious capital actually look for in the energy transition?
In this episode, Nico sits down with Brendan Bell, Co-Founder of Aligned Climate Capital and a former member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, to discuss how experienced investors evaluate energy companies, infrastructure projects, and management teams.
Brendan shares a practical look at:
• why raising capital has become more selective
• the common mistakes founders make when pitching investors
• what strong management teams do differently
• how infrastructure investors think about risk, scale, and long-term value
For founders, developers, and operators building in the energy transition, this conversation offers a clear view into how institutional investors actually make decisions.
Before co-founding Align Climate Capital, Brendan helped rebuild the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office in the aftermath of the Solyndra collapse. From financing some of the earliest utility scale solar projects to backing companies like Tesla in its early days, he has spent his career sitting at the intersection of policy, infrastructure, and capital.
Now at Align, Brendan and his team invest across the clean energy ecosystem. Early stage companies developing new business models. And infrastructure portfolios that own and operate solar and storage assets.
If you’re building, financing, or investing in the energy transition, this one is packed with insights.
Listen in to understand how capital is shaping the next chapter of the global energy system.
Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?
Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

From Davos to data centers, Axios reporter explains the new rules of power.
Amy Harder is one of the most widely read and respected reporters covering the intersection of energy, climate, and policy. As the national energy correspondent for Axios and author of the Harder Line newsletter, she helps industry leaders understand what’s actually happening inside the energy system.
In this conversation with Nico Johnson, Amy breaks down the forces reshaping the global energy landscape.
Artificial intelligence and data centers are driving electricity demand growth for the first time in decades. Tech companies are behaving more like utilities. Capital is rapidly reorganizing around energy infrastructure. And amid all of it, the politics and narratives surrounding climate and energy are shifting in real time.
Among her key insights:
🔹Energy is now one of the biggest bottlenecks for AI expansion
🔹The AI boom may ultimately accelerate clean energy deployment
🔹Natural gas is riding the current demand wave — even as renewables continue to grow
🔹Hyperscale tech companies are influencing power markets without becoming utilities
🔹Climate has slipped to the background in some global conversations about energy
🔹Political cycles will keep swinging — and the industry needs a longer-term perspective
Amy also discusses the role of capital in the AI-driven power buildout, why some of the most talked-about data center projects still exist only on paper, and how journalists are trying to cover one of the fastest-moving moments the energy sector has seen in decades.
The result is a candid look at how technology, infrastructure, politics, and capital are colliding to redefine the rules of power.
Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?
Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

For nearly a decade, Abby Hopper served as President and CEO of SEIA, the Solar Energy Industries Association, representing the U.S. solar industry through one of its most transformative periods.
From trade wars and policy battles to the rise of domestic manufacturing and record industry growth, Abby had a front-row seat as solar moved from the margins of the energy system to the center of it.
In this conversation, Abby reflects on the challenges she inherited, the progress the industry made, and the work that still lies ahead — from building political influence in Washington to strengthening credibility across the market.
It’s a candid look at the decade that reshaped solar, and what comes next for the industry.
Expect to learn:
🔹 What reshaped solar’s domestic manufacturing strategy
🔹 Why the solar industry still lacks political influence compared to oil and gas
🔹 What Abby believes could slow the next phase of solar growth
🔹 The uncomfortable truth about why solar companies underinvest in political advocacy
Listen now to hear Abby Hopper’s unfiltered perspective on the past, present, and future of solar leadership.
Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?
Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Every year, there is a new “crisis” in solar.
And yet… the industry keeps growing.
With leadership transition underway at the Solar Energy Industries Association, Darren Van’t Hof steps in as Interim President and CEO at a pivotal moment. Policy uncertainty. Permitting bottlenecks. Election year noise. And a projected $25 billion flowing into storage in 2026 alone.
So where do we really stand?
In this candid conversation recorded live at Intersolar & Energy Storage N.A., Darren shares why solar has already won the cost battle, why storage may be the most durable growth sector in energy, and what must happen politically for the industry to keep accelerating. There are some additional fun bits about the future of SEIA and his role in there as well. ;-)
Expect to learn:
🔹 What’s the outlook from the new (Interim) CEO on the heels of SEIA’s latest board meeting
🔹 Why solar is no longer competing on cost and what that changes
🔹 How permitting and regulatory uncertainty are quietly freezing capital
🔹 Why storage could command $25 billion in 2026 alone
🔹 The political engagement strategy SEIA is building to compete dollar for dollar
Darren brings two decades of finance and board leadership experience to the conversation. His message is clear. Affordability wins. Economics win. But certainty is everything.
Hit play to understand what is noise, what is signal, and how to position your company for the next growth cycle.
Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?
Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Most energy projects look solid on paper. Fewer stay on track in the field.
Brandon Moss sees the difference every day.
Energy demand is rising. Load growth is real. Timelines are tightening.
So what actually keeps large energy projects on track?
In this conversation, Brandon Moss, CEO of Shoals, shares what he sees from the center of utility-scale deployment. Shoals touches a significant portion of U.S. solar projects, giving Brandon a rare vantage point into how projects are planned, where they slip, and what separates strong operators from the rest.
We discuss:
What the biggest EPCs are prioritizing right now
Where early decisions create downstream risk
Why partnership is replacing transactional procurement
How labor constraints are shaping engineering and design
What “bankable” and “buildable” really mean in today’s market
How AI and load growth are changing the urgency around delivery

Brandon also reflects on the shift from private to public leadership, the responsibility that comes with scaling a business, and why simplicity and execution still win.
If you’re building projects, financing them, or planning infrastructure in a volatile policy and trade environment, this episode offers practical insight from someone who sits at the center of it.
Hit play and learn from a leader who sees where projects succeed and where they break.
Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?
Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.
Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!
SunCast is also sponsored by Nextpower!
You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.
Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 875 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.
Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus