Just Power Podcast
Just Power Podcast
Podcast Description
Right now, our energy system is transforming before our eyes and the decisions we make today will shape how we power our world for generations to come. So how do we create a just transition to a clean energy future without leaving anyone behind?I’m Carolyn Parrs, and for the past 20 years, I've been in the trenches of our energy transition working with startups to utilities helping them bring more clean energy to our grid. The time is now to transform our energy systems to create sustainable and equitable energy for all.That is why I created the Just Power Podcast in collaboration with New Mexico State University. Each week, we bring you conversations with energy leaders, policymakers, tribal members, community champions, and more. People who are working hard to so everyone has access to clean, affordable, reliable energy, no matter what their zip code.Subscribe to the Just Power Podcast! Because everyone deserves a seat at the energy table.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers on crucial themes like energy equity, community empowerment, and sustainable energy solutions. Episodes tackle specific topics such as Scotland's just transition framework, the intersection of energy justice and indigenous rights, and the business implications of energy equity, exemplified through episodes featuring experts sharing transformative insights and strategies.
Right now, our energy system is transforming before our eyes and the decisions we make today will shape how we power our world for generations to come. So how do we create a just transition to a clean energy future without leaving anyone behind?
I’m Carolyn Parrs, and for the past 20 years, I’ve been in the trenches of our energy transition working with startups to utilities helping them bring more clean energy to our grid. The time is now to transform our energy systems to create sustainable and equitable energy for all.
That is why I created the Just Power Podcast in collaboration with New Mexico State University. Each week, we bring you conversations with energy leaders, policymakers, tribal members, community champions, and more. People who are working hard to so everyone has access to clean, affordable, reliable energy, no matter what their zip code.
Subscribe to the Just Power Podcast! Because everyone deserves a seat at the energy table.
For the Season 1 Finale of Just Power, host Carolyn Parrs invites Pamela Fann, Founder and CEO of Integrative Solutions, back on the show to explore how empathy—a quality often overlooked or lost in technical fields—may be the missing ingredient in creating profitable and equitable energy systems. Carolyn and Pam make a compelling case that empathetic design isn't just morally right—it creates more effective, profitable, and widely-adopted energy solutions.
Through rich examples and practical insights, they challenge the industry's conventional approaches by asking: What if we designed energy systems by first understanding the lived experiences of those who will use them? What if we prioritized the needs of the most vulnerable rather than the most vocal? Pamela shares powerful strategies for cultivating organizational empathy, overcoming systemic barriers to human-centered design, and leveraging cultural competence to bridge divides between utilities and underserved communities.
This thought-provoking finale synthesizes the core message of the entire season: That just power systems must be designed with, not just for, the communities they serve. For energy professionals, policymakers, and concerned citizens alike, this episode offers both inspiration and practical pathways toward more empathetic and effective energy systems that benefit everyone involved in the transition to clean energy.
Key Ideas
- Discover how reverse engineering from community needs—rather than just from technical capabilities—creates energy programs that actually work for real people.
- Understand the systemic barriers that prevent empathetic design and concrete strategies to overcome them
- Learn practical methods for training professionals in empathetic thinking that enhance decision-making and program outcomes.
- Explore how understanding personal stories and lived experiences transforms abstract policy into meaningful action.
Chapters
00:00 Empathy in Energy Systems Design
10:12 Barriers to Empathy in Energy Planning
20:00 Reverse Engineering Empathy
23:26 The Cost of Empathy in Climate Action
29:46 Tools for Cultivating Empathy
Links
Pamela Fann: [email protected]
www.integratedsolutionsllc.net
Learn about New Mexico State University’s Microlearning
Mind Over Markets: Reframe your messaging for changing times.
Just Power is produced and hosted by Carolyn Parrs, sustainability and environmental communication and marketing consultant, coach, and advocate for a just transition to clean energy that leaves no one behind. The podcast is brought to you by New Mexico State University and Mind Over Markets.
New Mexico State University Microlearning
Mind Over Markets
LinkedIn
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