Jeff Dykes , president and CEO of BrightRidge Electric , shares how the Tennessee-based public power utility partnered with Silicon Ranch to develop solar projects under TVA's Generation Flexibility Program, enabling BrightRidge to deliver renewable energy while lowering costs for customers and funding STEM and tech programs in local schools. Focused on community service over profit, the utility also engages students in energy education and supports local economic growth. These projects have imp...
Jun 24, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Jim Malooley , Director of Agrivoltaics Operations at Silicon Ranch, joins host Nick de Vries to discuss the innovative intersection of solar energy and regenerative land management. Jim shares how he went from running his own sheep farm to leading a team that oversees sheep grazing across three large solar ranches in Georgia. He dives into the unique challenges of managing flocks on solar sites—including shifting lambing schedules, fine-tuning nutrition, and using the sheep's natural behavior t...
Apr 21, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 43
On this episode, host Nick de Vries is joined by Winston Vaughan , head of climate policy at Clearloop, Silicon Ranch's Carbon Solutions platform. Winston shares insights into Clearloop's innovative business model, which helps businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint by commissioning new solar projects in American communities where significant economic and environmental benefits can be achieved. We discuss the evolving landscape of carbon accounting and the concept of carbon blindn...
Feb 09, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 42
As Director of Market Strategy at Silicon Ranch, Adian Markocic spends a majority of his time analyzing industry trends, regulations, and data to help guide the company's growth strategy. Adrian joins us to provide insight into the strategic planning and considerations that go into siting and developing new solar projects, as well as the evolving landscape of electricity demand and how solar power can and should be prepared to meet it.
Oct 31, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Silicon Ranch partner Nextracker has pioneered several innovations in solar tracker technology, including independent row, weather aware tracking algorithms, and have been leading the charge on domestic supply chain improvements. CEO Dan Shugar joins us for a discussion on how their innovations have reduced both costs and environmental impacts while also creating local jobs and community support for solar projects. These efforts enable Nextracker to partner with leaders like Silicon Ranch to dep...
Sep 17, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 40
Anna Clare Monlezun , rancher and rangeland ecosystem scientist, joins Nick de Vries to discuss grassland ecosystems, sustainable grazing practices, and the co-location of solar energy generation and regenerative agriculture. Anna Clare shares updates on a project close to her heart, Cattle Tracker , which aims to co-locate cattle grazing with solar energy generation. This conversation explores the importance of regenerative grazing practices and the role of herbivores in maintaining healthy gra...
Jul 16, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 39
In this episode, we're celebrating Veterans Day as Nick invites two military veteran team members, Daizjah Morris and Chris Frobuccino , on the show to discuss their journey between ending their time in service and finding their next mission in civilian life. For many, this transition can be one of the more challenging milestones in a military career, as veterans have to cope with a new identity and purpose in life that can feel extremely foreign to what they have been used to. Hear in this epis...
Nov 07, 2023•39 min•Season 4Ep. 38
Our eighth episode in the series exploring domestic manufacturing takes us to Middle Tennessee, where Nick is joined by Ben Macias , Chief Revenue Officer of Shoals Technologies Group, a leading global provider of Electrical Balance of Systems (EBOS) for eMobility, solar and energy storage systems, with three facilities located in Portland, Tennessee. They'll discuss Shoals contribution both to renewable energy and the resurgence in American manufacturing by way of its diversification into the s...
Oct 05, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 37
Our seventh episode in our on-going series exploring domestic manufacturing takes us to West Tennessee, where Nick is joined by Jason Neal , President of Hyosung HICO and Senior Executive VP of HICO America. They'll discuss what makes Memphis a truly unique location logistically for HICO's manufacturing of transformers, a real life case study for high-tech, green energy driven domestic manufacturing right here in the United States. Industry leaders like Silicon Ranch and HICO are excited to shar...
Aug 31, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 36
In part six of this series, we'll explore the era defining opportunities presented by the clean energy transition and highlight innovative solutions entrepreneurs are developing to level up domestic manufacturing in the United States. In today’s episode, Nick speaks with Jim Tharp , Sr. Director of Operations at Wacker Chemical Corporation, a leading player and one of the world’s most research-intensive chemical companies, about the ways in which raw materials, skilled training, and community li...
Aug 01, 2023•24 min•Season 3Ep. 35
We continue to explore domestic manufacturing and the innovative new solutions entrepreneurs are developing to fully leverage opportunities the solar industry offers. In today’s episode, Nick speaks with Suvi Sharma , co-founder & CEO at SOLARCYCLE — the country’s most advanced solar panel recycling solution, about the need to produce the parts and raw materials we need right here in the United States. Approaching solar projects through a circular lens helps reduce reliance on new mining of ...
May 19, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 34
The conversation on the future of domestic manufacturing in the solar industry continues with Vinayak Gupta, Senior Vice President of Operations of Clean Energy Associates, a global company operating in the United States, Asia, and Europe, working on the soup to nuts of solar supply chains in terms of what it takes to bring new technology to production at scale of high quality. In this episode, Vinayak shares how module manufacturing can fully leverage the economic development opportunity that t...
Apr 03, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 33
The conversation on the future of domestic manufacturing in the solar industry continues with John Fluker , President and CEO of Grenzebach North America, a leading global automation company with expertise manufacturing glass, plywood, solar panels and even the luggage wheeling through just about any airport across the globe. In this episode, John discusses the role automation plays in the opportunity to bolster manufacturing in the solar industry, and shares the secret to what makes his factori...
Jan 31, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 32
In this episode we continue to explore the unprecedented opportunity to bolster domestic manufacturing while transitioning our energy infrastructure to cleaner, more reliable, renewable energy sources. Here in the U.S. labs are already testing new technologies, their stress points, and long-term reliability. The type of information these labs produce is crucial to people building the next generation of solar products and solutions. Every advancement is a new opportunity to create value, but gett...
Nov 30, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 31
To support the continued growth of solar and other industries it is becoming increasingly clear that the US needs to bolster its own domestic manufacturing infrastructure and shorten supply lines. Doing so requires a number of essential elements including leadership. In today’s episode, hosted by Nick de Vries, we kickoff a special series blueprinting domestic manufacturing and how it can be supported to drive economic development across the country. Join us for this conversion as we sit down wi...
Oct 31, 2022•35 min•Season 3Ep. 30
In previous episodes, we heard from Clearloop's founders, Laura Zapata and Bob Corney about how their company is helping businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint while also expanding access to clean energy to communities that need it most. In this episode, Laura joins the conversation again, this time with Brad Robison of the Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association and Joe Azar , Director of Economic Development for Panola County, Mississippi to discuss Clearloop's first two...
Sep 27, 2022•28 min•Season 3Ep. 29
Discover how we at Silicon Ranch continue to keep all of our solar plants operating at peak performance, and meet some of the technology partners and talented teams whose skills help us interpret data to predict and prevent future problems. In this episode, Jim Bausell is joined by Clay Helms , Performance Engineer on Silicon Ranch’s very own Technology and Asset Management team, and Peter Kobliska , VP of Business Development at GreenPower Monitor, to hear how they solve complex puzzles that he...
Jul 12, 2022•41 min•Season 3Ep. 28
With us today on the show are Davin Smith , Regional Manager for Power Plant Maintenance for Silicon Ranch, and Jason Boatwright , one of Silicon Ranch’s Solar O&M Technicians. So, join us to hear how these two master detectives and craftsmen, are helping to make solar do more! And stay tuned for the end of our episode to hear “Home” an original tune from the talented Taylor Downes.
Jun 15, 2022•31 min•Season 3Ep. 27
The solar energy industry is rapidly creating new jobs, new positions, and new opportunities for workers of all kinds, and at a rate never before seen. But with all that great power comes great responsibility, specifically to create valuable outcomes beyond clean, reliable energy generation. To help achieve those outcomes, Silicon Ranch teams up with regenerative ranchers across the country to deliver Regenerative Energy®, a design and land management platform that can be measured, verified, and...
May 23, 2022•36 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Today we’re going to shine a light on local clean energy and, how through Regenerative Energy®, we and our partners are leading the way to a brighter agricultural—as well as energy—future in the local communities we serve. In this episode, we’re joined by one of our Regenerative Energy® partners, Trent Hendricks of Cabriejo Ranch. Listen in and hear how we’re making solar do more!
May 02, 2022•39 min•Season 3Ep. 25
Making energy transition work for local communities takes partnerships and leadership. One of those partners is Chris Jones , CEO of Middle Tennessee Electric, the largest electric cooperative in the Tennessee Valley Authority region and the second largest in the United States, serving more than 750,000 Tennesseans. In this episode, Chris joins host Jim Bausell to discuss how local electric cooperatives are the economic development sparks to power up the quality of life in their own communities....
Apr 18, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 24
In our twenty-third episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Jim Bausell looks back on this year’s best and most noteworthy podcast clips. Join us as we wrap up this year, and look forward to a sunny 2022 filled with peace and joy.
Dec 21, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Organizations across the country are increasingly seeking a wider range of options to meet not only their renewable energy targets, but also their decarbonization, and broader ESG goals. Clearloop is the only company that offers organizations of all sizes a way to reclaim their carbon footprint by building solar farms that both clean up the grid and benefit economically distressed communities. In our latest episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Jim welcomes Clearloop’s CEO and Co-Founder, Laura Zapata...
Dec 08, 2021•47 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful for what we have. Americans have come to know this holiday for the food as well as an opportunity to tell those around us how much we appreciate them for what they bring to our lives. As we reflect on how grateful we are for the work we get to do and the people on our team here at Silicon Ranch, we wanted to share a few words of gratitude this Thanksgiving. In our twenty-first episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Jim Bausell welcomes eight of his colleagues at S...
Nov 22, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this special Veterans Day episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Jim is joined by Silicon Ranch team members, Erin Hanratty and Ryan Edwards , to discuss how U.S. military veterans such as themselves can and are contributing to not just our company but our industry. Listen in as these two discuss how they’ve gone from powering the defense of our nation, to powering our partners and communities.
Nov 10, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode, you’ll hear the Vice President of Renewables and Sales at Mitsubishi Electric Power, Adam Kabulski , as we explore the advantages of energy storage and the exciting prospects of battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Nov 01, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 19
How does energy feed into the overall economic development of our country? When you consider energy’s role in our economy, it’s more than a commodity, but rather the foundation of growth. New businesses have always demanded an energy partner that can provide affordable, reliable, plentiful power for their operations. In our eighteenth episode of Silicon Ranch Radio, Jim Bausell welcomes the CEO of South Carolina’s Power Team, James Chavez . James’s work with the SC Power Team, driving economic d...
Oct 20, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Ten years ago in Pulaski, Tennessee, Silicon Ranch became pioneers in the solar energy industry with the birth and creation of a new 1.4 MW solar project. In this episode, host Jim Bausell uncovers the lessons learned by two members who were present at the groundbreaking moment: Senior Vice President of Technology, Nick DeVries and retired Director of Construction and Safety, Jeff Lee .
Oct 04, 2021•49 min•Season 2Ep. 17
We believe our employees can make a real difference in the communities we serve, and as Silicon Ranch celebrates its tenth anniversary, we remain committed to that mission. In this episode, Director of Project Development, Ali Weaver , and Director of Economic and Community Development, Gina Brown , join host Jim Bausell to discuss the integral role Silicon Ranch has played as a corporate citizen of the many communities we serve, and the creative ways that engagement and development has allowed ...
Sep 20, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Did you know solar installations in the U.S. are predicted to quadruple in size by 2030? In this episode, Senior Vice President of Project Finance, Virginia Williams , and Director of Business Development, John Thompson , joins host Jim Bausell to discuss the growing demand for carbon-free power, and we'll take a dive deep into the world of solar economics by uncovering the purpose behind a power purchase agreement.
Sep 02, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 15
