I develop utility-scale solar, battery storage, and hybrid power projects for the companies building the AI economy. From grid-tied solar to behind-the-meter microgrids, at the scale the moment demands.
My career has been a single long bet that energy and technology would eventually collide at a scale that changes everything. I started in semiconductors and disk media after an honorable discharge from the US Marine Corps, moved into solar cell R&D where I was awarded a patent for thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing, and spent the next decade building some of the largest renewable projects in the world.
Long before I managed portfolios, I built the systems behind them. I write code, architected the databases and monitoring platforms that ran the factories I worked in, and founded a web-consulting firm I grew 60% a year across three industries. That builder instinct is why the AI economy is not theoretical to me. I have shipped the tools, run the lines, and delivered the projects.
As Director of EPC at SunEdison, I delivered over 1 GW of utility-scale solar with $1B in capital responsibility. At Tesla Energy, I deployed commercial-scale battery storage projects behind the meter in California. At McKinsey, I advised utilities, developers, and governments across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia on strategy, technical feasibility, and AI-driven O&M optimization.
After leading operations (engineering, procurement, project management, and construction through COD) at Recurrent Energy and FTC Solar, and running energy-development operations at General Catalyst, I'm now CEO of Brookwood, a 35-year owner's-representative and program-management firm, and I lead mission-critical infrastructure for Zero RFI, its parent company. Same discipline, bigger canvas: data centers, power plants, and anything with a generator attached to it.
I hold a patent in use by NASA, a Lean Champion designation, and have taught construction best practices for the Lean Construction Institute and the Project Management Institute. I am an active contributor to the Stanford TomKat Center for Sustainable Energy. And I host Watts Required, the podcast for the people building, buying, and enabling power infrastructure for the AI economy.
The podcast for the people building, buying, and enabling the power infrastructure behind the AI economy. Real conversations on what it actually takes to develop, finance, and deliver large-scale energy projects -- from grid-tied solar to behind-the-meter microgrids.
35-45 minute conversations with developers, hyperscaler infrastructure leaders, utility planners, and project finance professionals working at the edge of energy and AI. One hard problem, examined from every angle.
A standing segment at the top of each episode reacting to the most important news in energy and AI infrastructure that week. No fluff -- just what actually matters and why.
A deep-dive segment going inside the specific regulatory framework, procurement challenge, or technical constraint at play in the episode. The stuff practitioners need to know but rarely find explained clearly.
Supply chain constraints. Reliability at scale. The natural gas question. Datacenter load profile ambiguity. Where to build. Water requirements. Regulatory frameworks. Interconnection realities. The economics of hybrid projects.
Leading Brookwood, a 35-year owner's-representative and program-management firm, and directing mission-critical infrastructure for parent company Zero RFI -- data centers, power plants, and anything with a generator attached to it.
Led development of utility-scale solar, BESS, and hybrid power projects ranging from 250 MW to 1 GW, with a focus on behind-the-meter installations for AI datacenter applications. Managed complex interconnection processes, ITC compliance, and multi-party EPC coordination across active projects in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Built the project and construction-management organization and raised $500M from BlackRock to execute against it. Delivered North Fork (160 MW, Oklahoma) and Liberty (134 MW, Texas, on time and on budget), took Bayou Galion (Louisiana) and Papago (1,200 MWh BESS, Arizona) through construction, and recovered Sunflower (100 MW, Mississippi) after a field-wide medium-voltage cable failure put it six months past substantial completion.
Owned utility-scale solar construction delivery for the publicly traded solar technology company (NASDAQ: FTCI), driving labor productivity from 305 to 185 man-hours per MW and building lean construction into FTC's core product. Trained Kiewit's field crews on pile driving and tracker assembly at Samson Solar Energy Center (1,310 MW, Texas), the largest solar project in the US at the time.
Led development of McKinsey's proprietary cloud-based Capital Projects productivity platform. Served as a renewable energy subject matter expert on client engagements across Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and North America -- covering strategy, technical feasibility, portfolio due diligence, and AI-driven O&M optimization.
Deployed and completed $1.1B and over 1 GW of utility-scale solar under construction, including the Four Brothers (420 MW DC) and Three Cedars (265 MW DC) portfolios in Utah, a joint venture with Dominion Energy delivered on time and on budget. Drove $72M of cost out through Lean Construction, and led EPC selection and contract negotiations for the SunEdison Solar Construction Alliance.
Deployed multiple commercial-scale Tesla Energy behind-the-meter projects in California across PG&E and SCE territories. Also responded to the SDG&E battery storage RFO -- one of the earliest utility-scale BESS procurement processes in the country.
Brought over $400M of operational assets into commercial operation across multiple utility-scale plants, several the largest on record at the time.
Built and optimized a solar cell manufacturing line leveraging semiconductor and disk media expertise. Pioneered a novel solution for manufacturing CIGS thin-film solar cells on glass, awarded a US patent in 2015.
Launched a 14-year career in high-precision manufacturing following an honorable discharge from the US Marine Corps. Held leadership roles in customer service, operations, and quality supporting Intel, IBM, Hitachi, TSMC, Samsung, Western Digital, Seagate, and TDK.
Served and participated in operations in Iraq and Somalia. Honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant.
Kirk brings a practitioner's perspective to conference stages, investor briefings, and industry forums. He speaks from the front lines of utility-scale project development -- not from a slide deck.
What it actually takes to develop and deliver GW-scale energy infrastructure for hyperscaler and datacenter applications.
Transformer lead times, domestic content requirements, and how procurement sequencing determines whether projects succeed or stall.
The gap between what datacenters need and what solar plus storage actually delivers -- and how hybrid power bridges it.
Navigating FERC Order 2023, utility interconnection queues, ITC compliance, and the regulatory frameworks shaping where and how projects get built.
The site selection calculus for large-scale energy projects -- land, water, transmission, permitting jurisdiction, and utility territory.
An honest conversation about the role of gas in the clean energy stack -- what it enables, what it costs, and what it means for the AI economy's emissions story.
Kirk works with a select number of organizations outside his primary role. Engagements are substantive, not decorative -- expect direct access, honest assessments, and practical guidance from someone who is building at scale right now.
For developers and investors evaluating utility-scale solar, BESS, or hybrid project opportunities. Project feasibility, site assessment, EPC structure, procurement sequencing, and risk identification from someone who has delivered over 4 GW and $5B in capital.
For datacenter operators and infrastructure teams navigating behind-the-meter power sourcing. Load profile definition, technology selection, developer evaluation, and understanding what utilities and developers actually need from you to make deals move.
For private equity, infrastructure funds, and strategic investors evaluating renewable energy assets or platforms. Technical review of construction execution, supply chain risk, cost structure, and operational performance.
Executive briefings, team workshops, and leadership offsites on energy infrastructure, supply chain dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and the power demands of the AI economy. Delivered in plain language without the consultant jargon.
Watts Required is looking for practitioners — developers, hyperscaler infrastructure leaders, utility planners, project finance professionals, and policy experts — who are building, buying, or enabling the power infrastructure behind the AI economy. No fluff. No spokespeople.
Operators with real reps. Developers with scars. Infrastructure leaders who've closed the deal — not just talked about it.
35–45 minutes, recorded remotely via Riverside.fm. A working mic and a reliable connection are all you need. We handle the rest.
Kirk does his homework. Expect a focused conversation on one hard problem with smart, informed questions — not a soft-ball highlight reel.
Grid interconnection. Behind-the-meter microgrids. Datacenter power procurement. BESS deployment. Regulatory frameworks. Supply chain. The natural gas question. Where the deals are actually getting done.
Fill out a quick intake form — who you are, what you're building, and the specific angle you'd bring to the show. Takes about 3 minutes. We review every submission personally.
Submit Guest Pitch →Once your pitch is reviewed and confirmed, you'll get a direct link to book a recording session on Kirk's calendar. No back-and-forth emails.
Coming Soon →Whether you're interested in a speaking engagement, an advisory conversation, a podcast guest appearance, or just want to connect -- reach out directly. Kirk reads every message personally.