Engineering a Cleaner Future with Randy
Randy is my former roommate, who’s made career moves from oil fields to working on electric vehicles to battery storage. An engineer by training and graduate of the Yale School of Management, Randy embarked on a climate career after noticing the drawbacks of oil and gas, and he’s experienced firsthand the major impact energy markets can have on technology companies. As a Canadian, he has been known to bike to work in the dead of winter, a crucial climate contribution. So, let’s get to know Randy.
What do you do?
I’m currently between jobs, but was previously a hardware product manager in charge of stationary energy storage and eMobility at an energy storage company. I was working on co-optimizing stationary energy storage and EV charging loads to help reduce cost and demand on the grid.
How does it relate to climate?
Renewable energy supplies are intermittent, and electricity travels at almost the speed of light. That means you either have to find a way to store it (e.g., batteries), or find a load that’s large and flexible enough to absorb variations in the system (e.g., EVs).
What motivated you to study engineering?
I went into engineering out of high school as I was good at math and science (I was actually my high school valedictorian) and enjoyed building stuff. I played with Lego Technic sets as a kid, built my own RC monster truck, and was one of the few students on the university track in high school who also took shop classes.
How did you come to work in climate?
I was a mechanical engineering co-op student and found working at an automotive parts supplier pointless, then had a visceral reaction to working at an oil refinery. I think we all know that oil is dangerous and dirty, but I didn't have a deep appreciation for the extent of it until I worked in the industry and saw so many close calls where people almost died. Electrocutions, heavy equipment accidents, explosions, poisoning, falls, etc. And we weren't even that bad. My boss was very proud that we hadn't killed anyone in our department in over 10 years when one of the nearest competitors had killed 8 people in the same time.
After college, I went full hippie as a volunteer teacher in Namibia for a year, but I found teaching kids was a lot different than being a TA in University. Working with energy storage and EVs combined my natural skills and environmental/engineering education with my social leanings.
What are some obstacles you encountered along your climate career path?
Visa sponsorship – it can be hard out there for Canadians! It can also be a challenge to pick winning companies. Working at 50-200 person startups means that they may not make it, or at the very least there will be layoffs along the way.
The other big issue is that my work has often put me on the leading edge of technologies, so the parts, standards and software I need often don't exist. It makes things fun because you're creating something new, but it also makes it incredibly difficult to get anything done.
Tell us about an experience with a company that didn't make it.
I had worked at Azure Dynamics, a commercial EV company that went under 9 months after I left. Their target market was essentially demolished by the introduction of fracking. Adjusted for inflation, gasoline prices were above $5/gallon around 2010, natural gas prices were much higher too, and so were battery prices. That made it a great time to invest in hybrids for heavy-duty vehicles. These vehicles use a lot of fuel and drive a lot of miles. For example, our airport shuttle buses drove 50,000 miles/year for 7 years on average and then were retired.
Unfortunately, fracking gained traction fast shortly after 2010, which drove down prices for gas, diesel and natural gas at a time when batteries were still expensive, so the market for heavy-duty hybrids basically dried up. Now, about 15 years later, there’s more pressure on corporate ESG and cheaper battery prices, so you can see the heavy trucking hybrid and EV market picking back up again.
Do you tend to see colleagues/customers interested in sustainability for its own sake or for regulatory/financial reasons? What do you think about that?
My colleagues have definitely been interested in sustainability for its own sake. People in the industry are generally passionate about the environment and the world, and working in renewables is a good way to support that while also making a reasonable wage and not having to go full ascetic.
In order of priority, I'd say people at electric utilities want power that is safe, reliable, economical, and environmentally friendly. They are interested in sustainability, but unwilling to compromise on the other 3 priorities.
A small group of customers are interested in sustainability for its own sake, but the larger/later majority tends to be driven more by corporate mandates or regulatory incentives, and they often look for the easiest/cheapest method of satisfying the regulation or taking advantage of the incentive.
What worries you most about climate change?
I’m most worried about inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation resulting in stalled policy and sub-optimal solutions.
How do you think about climate equity and climate justice in your work?
In my job, I think about these primarily in response to the government’s focus on those issues and how we can make the most out of the incentives and programs available. (Randy also recommended many other diverse climate professionals that I’ll be trying to profile in the future! -Ed.)
How do you think about helping others in their climate career paths?
I like doing it and hope to start mentoring later this year. (Get in touch if you’d like to connect with Randy! -Ed.)
What gives you hope?
Children. They're awesome.
What would you like to do next?
I’ll be staying in the energy space, working with EVs and storage, and want to keep building technology and equipment that people enjoy using.
What advice do you have for those interested in making a career out of protecting a livable climate?
Edward Abbey said it best, so all I can say is to make sure you enjoy yourself along the way. Companies and technologies will come and go, but the connections you make, knowledge you gain, and memories you create will sustain you in the long run.