Electric Equity Podcast Por Brian Thomas arte de portada

Electric Equity

Electric Equity

De: Brian Thomas
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Electric Equity looks at energy poverty around the globe, explores how it limits people’s ability to flourish as human beings, and brings to light efforts to increase energy access. Your host is engineering Professor Brian Thomas, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization JustEnergy, which works to combat energy poverty in the poorest and least electrified country in the Western Hemisphere: Haiti. Fighting Energy Poverty is full of challenges: some are technical, some are cultural, some are financial, some are ethical. Our show will demystify energy and electricity and unpack the central role of energy access for international development and human flourishing. We’ll introduce you to people and organizations that are doing something about it and explore philosophical and ethical questions along the way.© 2025 Electric Equity Brian Thomas
Episodios
  • Mackendy's Story

    Mackendy's Story
    Dec 20 2025
    This episode introduces us to Mackendy, the General Manager and Cultural Liasson for JustEnergy's work in Haiti. We learn how how he lost his mother as a child amid Vodou curses, but was able to study languages and translation services. He recalls the story of a blackout during his wife's c-section, and unpacks Haitian fuel shortages, black market fuel sales, and using propane as a fuel for electricity generation. Main Points: Poverty is rampant and life is hard in Haiti. Electricity is primarily generated through private generators using diesel and gasoline. Fuel shortages exacerbated by gang violence mean even hospitals have blackouts - sometimes during surgery. Black market fuel sales mean gasoline is like cash - but more dangerous. Propane offers a viable alternative for electricity generation. See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.
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    39 m
  • Remote Alaskan Microgrids

    Remote Alaskan Microgrids
    Dec 20 2025
    In this episode, I speak with Aimie Servant, a licensed professional engineer at the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC), about what it really takes to keep the lights on in some of the most remote communities in North America. While much of Alaska relies on the Railbelt grid, AVEC operates independent microgrids serving rural villages—small “electrical islands” powered close to the people they serve. We explore how these systems depend largely on diesel generation, sometimes supported by wind power and battery energy storage, and why fuel logistics drive electricity costs to around 40¢ per kilowatt-hour. With fuel and equipment delivered by barge during short seasonal windows, reliability requires careful planning, large storage capacity, and a layered maintenance model involving local operators, traveling technicians, and engineers. The conversation also looks forward, discussing the role of lithium iron phosphate batteries, potential thermal energy storage, and why diesel remains essential in extreme cold. Aimie reflects on the charge of her faith to be “the light of the world” in very tangible ways. Main Points: Alaska’s roughly 200 microgrids operate as isolated electrical systems. Diesel remains central to reliability despite growing renewables. Fuel logistics and seasonal access shape system design and cost. Power Cost Equalization supports energy equity in rural communities. Multiple energy systems work best as complements, not competitors. See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.
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    43 m
  • Electricity and Human Development Index

    Electricity and Human Development Index
    Dec 20 2025
    In this episode, I speak with Dr. Kayla Garrett, a professor in Baylor University's department of Environmental Science and co-founder of the nonprofit JustEnergy, about how electricity access shapes human freedom and responsibility. Kayla’s journey began as an undergraduate in humanitarian engineering, when a service-learning trip to Haiti involved helping a hospital install an off-grid solar and battery system—an experience that permanently altered how she thinks about development and energy justice. Since earning her PhD in environmental science, Dr. Garrett has continued teaching and leading JustEnergy, supporting projects in both Texas and Haiti. Our conversation centers on the Human Development Index (HDI), which integrates life expectancy, education, and income as measures of human flourishing. We explore why electricity consumption correlates so strongly with HDI: small amounts of energy dramatically improve quality of life for the energy-poor, while additional energy provides diminishing returns for energy-rich societies. Could this be called "energy gluttony?" Dr. Garrett also reflects candidly on returning from Haiti with feelings of anger and shame, and how those emotions evolved into a call for energy temperance—a disciplined, neighbor-centered approach to energy use. We conclude by distinguishing between energy conservation as a behavioral choice and energy efficiency as a technological strategy. Main Points: Humanitarian engineering and formative experiences in Haiti HDI as a measure of freedom and development Electricity’s nonlinear impact on quality of life Energy temperance, energy gluttony, conservation, and efficiency See www.justiceandmercy.energy for extra content including episodes that explain electrical terms in accessible ways.
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    30 m
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