Clean Power Hour

What separates solar projects that get built from those that die in development? Brad Stutzman has spent 16 years figuring out the answer.
Brad is the Founder and CEO of O3 Energy, a Dallas-based solar development and construction company. He started in 2009 during the Great Recession, pivoting from real estate financing to renewable energy. O3 Energy has since deployed hundreds of on-site solar projects across commercial, municipal, and non-profit customers throughout the Southwest, Hawaii, Guam, and Mexico.
Key Discussion Points
How the 2009 recession and Obama's American Recovery Act launched Brad's solar career through the 1603 grant program
Why behind-the-meter projects reduce development risk by eliminating land acquisition and off-taker uncertainty
O3 Energy's approach to "practical innovation" and requiring ROI from every business improvement
How Brad converted a capped New Mexico landfill near Sandia Labs into a working solar facility (brownfields to brightfields)
Why Brad is repowering a project with Erthos flat-to-earth racking technology after wind damage destroyed the Ballasted fixed tilt system
The future of "renewable baseload power" through solar plus battery storage achieving grid parity
AI integration in solar monitoring platforms that analyze system performance and troubleshoot issues
Brad's 16 years in solar development reveal a consistent truth: successful projects require patience, practical thinking, and smart partnerships. His brownfield conversion near nuclear weapons storage required Nuclear Regulatory Authority sign-off. His California municipal project needed creative cross-property engineering. Neither would have happened without tenacity. 
As Brad puts it, mistakes are only mistakes if you don't learn from them. O3 Energy continues expanding into the Midwest and Mexico while preparing for the next wave of solar plus storage. The company is actively seeking partners for development, construction, and asset management opportunities nationwide.
Connect with Brad Stutzman 
Brad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradstutzman/
03 Energy Website: https://o3energy.com/
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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Most businesses are stuck in AI demo mode, watching impressive one-off showcases that never become daily operations. In this episode, Tim Montague welcomes Josh Huston from Agents Anywhere to break down the three categories of AI opportunity: apps, agents, and automations. Josh has spent over three years helping companies turn AI from buzzword into working business infrastructure.
Key Discussion Points:
Why AI is an accelerator for working workflows, not a fix for broken processes
The three AI opportunity categories: apps (custom interfaces), agents (goal-driven LLMs with tool access), and automations (background workflows)
How data ownership shifts when you build custom applications instead of relying on third-party tools
Real-world example: proposal generation workflow reduced from hours to minutes using AI agents
Pilot project framework: $15K-$25K investments targeting high-impact workflows with measurable ROI
Cost structure for AI agents: service fees, token usage (as low as 2 cents per process), and platform licensing
This episode gives clean energy operators a practical framework for AI adoption. The message is clear: stop accumulating tools and start building strategic workflows. Josh and Tim walk through the entire process from identifying friction points to scaling successful pilots across your organization. 
If you run a solar EPC, energy storage company, or any cleantech operation feeling pressure to "do something with AI," this conversation provides the roadmap. The approach is simple: find what works, accelerate it with AI, measure ROI, then expand intentionally.
Book a strategy call today: https://calendly.com/tim-montague/ai-consulting#/
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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

Energy storage is not a green technology. It's grid infrastructure.
That reframe from Shawn Shaw, CEO of Camelot Energy Group and author of "Energy Storage Systems," challenges how we talk about batteries in the energy transition. With 22 years in solar and storage and 1.2 GWh of projects commissioned in late 2025, Shaw brings practical insight into why storage matters for grid operators regardless of your views on renewables. China installed 65 GWh of storage in December 2025 alone. The US installed 40-50 GWh for the entire year. This conversation explains why that gap matters.

Key Discussion Points
Why energy storage is a grid resource like transformers and substations, not just a companion to renewables. Loads are more dynamic than ever, and batteries provide the controllability grid operators need.
How storage transforms predictable renewables into dispatchable assets. A 100kW solar project might earn only 10kW capacity credit alone, but pairing it with batteries captures significantly more value.
The real data on battery safety: Commercial and utility-scale systems catch fire at 0.3% per year, the same rate as residential homes. NFPA 855 2026 now requires active ventilation and separate fire and explosion testing.
Hot storage markets in 2026: Massachusetts 83E procurement, New York's index storage credit, Illinois CRGA legislation, and why Texas requires nodal-level analysis to avoid 50% revenue swings.
Why utility interconnection delays are pushing developers toward microgrids. Google acquired Intersect Power for $4.75 billion to self-develop solar and storage near data centers.
FEOC compliance economics: Chinese DC blocks at $100-125/kWh vs Tesla at $300-500/kWh. Developers may want FEOC free but the economics of built in America may drive business as usual for BESS procurement. The devil is in the details! 
This episode offers a clear-eyed view of where the industry stands and what it takes to move faster.

Connect with Shawn Shaw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnshawpe/
Website: https://www.camelotenergygroup.com/
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Connect with Tim
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Email [email protected]
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The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

#EP328 Federal funding for tribal clean energy projects has been rescinded. Tribes that invested millions in solar and microgrid projects now face stalled construction, lost jobs, and broken promises. David Harper, CEO of Huurav, is stepping in with bridge loans to keep these projects alive.
David Harper is a tribal member from the Colorado River Indian Tribes on the Arizona-California border. He started his solar career fighting developers who disturbed sacred artifacts and human remains on tribal lands. Today, he runs Huurav, a company providing bridge financing for the 575 federally recognized tribes across the United States. His sister company, 7 Skyline, provides electrical engineering consulting to 80-90 tribes nationwide.
Episode Highlights:
The 2021 Infrastructure Bill allocated $10-15 billion for tribal energy projects. Much of that funding has been clawed back.
Tribes that invested their own money now have stalled projects with no path to completion.
Huurav provides 2-6 year bridge loans that allow tribes to continue construction while securing permanent financing.
Capital stacking allows multiple funders (CDFIs, philanthropy, financial institutions, etc) to share risk on larger projects.
Case study: Guidiville Rancheria in Mendocino County received a $1M bridge loan for a 500kW solar plus 1.5MW battery storage microgrid serving 44 homes.
Huurav has 22 projects in its pipeline with more tribes requesting support.
Tribal communities often suffer brownouts and blackouts because they sit at the end of utility lines. Microgrids offer energy independence.
David Harper's story captures what happens when federal promises disappear overnight. Tribes that did everything right, completed feasibility studies, hired workers, and approved scopes of work, are left holding the bill. 
Huurav fills that gap with bridge loans sized to what tribes can pay back. This model builds credit history, creates jobs, and moves the 22 projects in their pipeline toward completion.
Connect with David Harper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-harper-ab6b762b5/
Huurav: https://www.huurav.com/
7Skyline: https://www.7skyline.com/
Support the show
Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
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Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

In this week's Clean Power Hour, Tim Montague and co-host John Weaver examine the widening gap between China and the United States in clean energy deployment. The hosts analyze new data from Stanford Professor Mark Jacobson showing China is on track for a clean economy by 2050, while the US lags a century behind. They discuss record battery installations, solar manufacturing shifts, and what these trends mean for energy independence and economic competitiveness.
Episode Highlights:
China projected to reach a clean economy by 2050, US not until 2148 at current pace (PV Magazine)
China installed 65 gigawatt hours of battery storage in December alone, exceeding the US total for the entire 2025 (Benchmark)
Longi joins push to reduce silver content in solar panel production to cut costs by 10-20 percent (Bloomberg)
US solar panel manufacturing reaches 65 gigawatts annual capacity in 2025 (Bloomberg)
Discussion of Dan Wang's book "Breakneck" exploring why China builds infrastructure faster than the US
Analysis of energy independence as a national security strategy in the context of global oil conflicts
First Solar, Qcells, Heliene, and other domestic manufacturers lead US solar production growth
The data shows China moving at unprecedented speed in clean energy deployment, while the US faces a critical choice about accelerating its transition. Energy independence through solar, wind, and storage is both an economic opportunity and a national security imperative. Share your thoughts on how the US can close this gap in the comments below.
Support the show
Connect with Tim
Clean Power Hour
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Email [email protected]
Review Clean Power Hour on Apple Podcasts

The Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: [email protected]
Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/

The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America’s number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com