Energy policy, technology, and utility challenges: How industry leaders are overcoming barriers

Nov 18, 2025

Guest

Angela Amos

Guest

Inalvis Alvarez Fernandez

Guest

Lindsey Williams

Angela Amos, Director of Commercial Strategy & Innovation at AES Clean Energy, discusses navigating regulatory challenges and integrating technology like battery storage. Inalvis Alvarez Fernandez, Senior energy software professional at Simple Thread, reveals insights on automating grid interconnections and overcoming data challenges. Lindsey Williams, VP at Shoals Technologies, emphasizes the importance of EBOS reliability and domestic manufacturing in solar systems. Together, they explore how collaboration and innovation are critical to advancing the energy transition.

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ANECDOTE

Maximo: Robot Aiding Solar Installs

AES showcased an AI-powered robot named Maximo that assists people installing solar panels on-site.
Angela emphasized Maximo improves safety and efficiency without replacing workers.

INSIGHT

Cross-Functional Expertise Shapes Policy

AES leverages its mix of utilities, developers, and infrastructure experience to inform policy engagement.
The company seeks collaborative regulatory conversations focused on shared goals like resilience.

ANECDOTE

From EPRI To Minerva Interconnect

Inalvis described her path from EPRI distribution planning to building Minerva Interconnect at Simple Thread.
She pivoted toward software to automate studies and make utility data actionable for interconnection.

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Utility-scale clean energy projects in development are still facing connection queues and regulatory barriers. RE+ may be done for 2025, but the debate is still going. Host Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Research Director at Wood Mackenzie, sits down with three leaders who are driving progress from different corners of the energy transition, from utility-scale project development to digital grid optimisation and solar system reliability.

Sylvia Leyva Martinez and her guests discuss how federal and state regulations shape project timelines and financing, the latest innovations in the grid and the future of interconnection studies, the supply chain outlook for developers and technology providers, and how policy and software are converging to accelerate the energy transition.

In this episode you’ll hear from:

Angela Amos from AES Clean Energy - As Director of Commercial Strategy & Innovation, Angela brings a unique vantage point that bridges policy, finance, and market execution. Drawing on her experience at AES, Uplight, and FERC, Angela shares how developers are navigating an evolving regulatory landscape, adapting to federal and state policy shifts, and rethinking how technology integration shapes long-term strategy. She also discusses how AES is approaching supply chain partnerships and what “innovation” really looks like at a global energy developer.

Lindsey Williams from Shoals Technologies Group - Lindsey is VP of Marketing & Communications at Shoals, and she joins Sylvia to unpack the latest in solar and storage performance. Building on Shoals’ recent focus on EBOS (Electrical Balance of System), Lindsey reflects on how component design, reliability, and digital monitoring are redefining project outcomes. She also shares what she heard from the floor at RE+, including the big industry talking points shaping developer confidence and long-term investment certainty in clean energy infrastructure.

Inalvis Alvarez Fernandez from Simple Thread - Inalvis is a Senior Energy Technology Engineer at Simple Thread, and she explains how digital tools like Minerva are helping reduce project backlogs, streamline utility processes, and unlock grid capacity faster. Inalvis also discusses the challenges clean energy companies face scaling renewables and how regulatory clarity can enable more efficient technology deployment.

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