Open Circuit – Katherine’s Final Episode
Date: December 19, 2025
Podcast: Open Circuit (Latitude Media)
Hosts: Stephen Lacey (A), Jigar Shah (C), Katherine Hamilton (B)
Episode Overview
This special episode marks Katherine Hamilton’s retirement from both the clean energy sector and the Open Circuit podcast after a distinguished 40-year career. While the show will continue, this episode serves as an emotional farewell and a deep reflection on Katherine’s legacy, her career journey, lessons learned, and her impact on colleagues, the clean energy industry, and listeners—particularly women.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Katherine’s Retirement and Future Plans
- Retirement Announcement: Katherine reveals she is retiring from her clean energy roles and the podcast, effective at year-end.
- “At the end of this year, I'm retiring from my job in clean energy and from the podcast.” — Katherine [01:31]
- Future Activities: She will retain several board positions and serve as Visiting Senior Fellow at Cornell's Atkinson Center for Sustainability, but plans to focus on family, painting, and personal interests.
- “I'm gonna do light work and much more heavy on spending time with my beautiful grandbaby and all my other kids and my mom and the mountains.” — Katherine [02:31]
Reflecting on 40 Years in Clean Energy
- Career Timeline Highlights:
- Early years as a utility grid engineer at Dominion Virginia Power.
- Transition to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop federal energy programs and educate Congress.
- Leadership roles in multiple trade associations (American Bioenergy Association, Energy Storage Association, Gridwise Alliance, and others).
- Co-hosting The Energy Gang and Open Circuit podcasts.
Katherine’s “Superpowers” Explored
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Technical Expertise in Policy
- Unique among DC policymakers, Katherine brought grid engineering experience to government policy.
- “Before you ever walked into a policy meeting, you spent many years literally drawing the grid.” — Stephen [12:55]
- Her ability to translate tech into policy was key to influencing Congress:
“I was able to distill really complicated ideas into words that people who didn't have any kind of technical background could understand.” — Katherine [19:42]
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Relentless Preparation
- Known for thorough research and trusted analysis.
- “From the beginning ... you would do three to four interviews and really try to bring a balanced set of takes.” — Stephen [06:07]
- Her “Chart Lady” persona—preparing clear data and arguments—helped win Congressional amendments.
- “They call me Chart lady, because I put together a chart that said, here's how it should be broken down.” — Katherine [26:03]
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Backbone in a Male-Dominated Field
- Explained how she ran into glass ceilings, was denied promotions, and stood up to dismissive attitudes and overt sexism.
- Credited her bravery and disregard for hierarchy:
“Everybody poops the same way ... everybody is the same.” — Katherine [33:10]
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Lifting Others Up
- Inspired women and men by modeling success and confidence.
- “Women coming up to me at conferences and saying, it's so important to hear your voice.” — Katherine [34:53]
- Jigar credits her with shaping policy perspectives for a generation of clean energy leaders:
“All of my advanced thinking about how ... policy can really help clean energy has come from Catherine.” — Jigar [35:46]
The Power of Friendship and Chemistry on the Podcast
- All three hosts reflected on their decade-long collaboration and friendship, which made technical and policy-heavy episodes accessible and engaging.
- “We trust each other. We have each other's backs. We challenge each other. I mean, that, to me, is the best thing.” — Katherine [05:20]
- Their dynamic resisted industry “doomerism” and encouraged optimism.
- “With a different group of people ... this show could have easily been much more about wallowing and complaining ... we brought a sense of optimism.” — Stephen [09:05]
Lessons and Anecdotes from Katherine’s Journey
- Serendipity and Taking Risks: Many pivotal moves were unplanned—she was open to new opportunities and learning at each stage.
- “Be a lifelong learner. Be open to new things. Be willing to take risks.” — Katherine [36:41]
- Dignity of All Work: Even in her earliest jobs, she believed in the value and learning potential of every role.
- “It was the stinkiest, dirtiest job there was. But ... this has dignity. We can make this fun and remember, anything you do, you can learn from and have fun.” — Katherine [37:23]
- Advocacy By Example: Katherine’s technical grounding, communication, and persistence led to real change—such as championing energy storage and key tax credits that have become central to the industry.
Making Clean Energy Policy Accessible and Resonant
- Katherine championed clear, jargon-free communication.
- “I've had to learn that too, because it is very easy to get wonky super fast. And then once you walk out, you've lost, like, half the people.” — Katherine [41:25]
Tackling Industry Politics
- Discussed the increasing politicization of clean energy as technologies threatened incumbents.
- “As they grew ... they became more of a threat to the people who really ran the system. And I think that's when things started getting political.” — Katherine [43:02]
- Affirmed that real-life support for solutions like solar is often bipartisan at the community level.
Enduring Optimism and The Future
- Katherine draws hope from state and local progress, future generations, and the kindness and drive of people in the industry.
- “You have all these people that are out there inspired and willing to put the time and effort to do the right thing and to keep moving ahead. And that keeps me going.” — Katherine [44:44]
- Anticipates a vibrant, resilient sector that she’ll cheer on as she enjoys time with family.
Signature Moments
- Storage is the “Bacon of the Grid”:
- “Storage is the bacon of the grid.” — Katherine [46:08]
- Jigar and Stephen emphasized that Katherine is the “mayor” of the energy storage industry for her pivotal role in its policy successes.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “No more podcasting, no more conferences, no more meetings. Just you and painting and gardening and ... wait a second. Can Jigger and I do this with you?” — Stephen [01:39]
- “If you want to learn how the grid works, go work at a utility for a while. It's good.” — Katherine [16:53]
- “Everybody deserves a place ... and I think women having a place on these shows ... is really important.” — Katherine [34:53]
- “You are that mayor, Katherine.” — Jigar [47:32]
- “Anything you do is important and you can learn from.” — Katherine [36:41]
Important Timestamps
- Retirement Announcement: [01:31]
- Reflections on Podcast Chemistry and Friendship: [05:20]
- Technical Background to Policy: [13:38]
- Becoming an Industry “Chart Lady”: [26:03]
- Advice for the Next Generation: [36:41]
- On Policy Politicization: [43:02]
- “Storage is the bacon of the grid.” & Its Impact: [46:08]
- Episode Conclusion & Farewells: [51:49] – [53:57]
Episode Tone and Atmosphere
The episode is warm, sincere, and deeply reflective, full of mutual respect, inside jokes, and affectionate teasing. Katherine’s humility and humor shine through, especially in stories about sewing engineering suits and coming up with memorable metaphors (“bacon of the grid”). The hosts’ voices oscillate from laughter to moments of vulnerability as they acknowledge the end of an era, their gratitude, and Katherine’s irreplaceable role in both the show and the clean energy movement.
Final Thoughts
Katherine’s final episode is a masterclass in career reflection, community building, and the power of clear communication in clean energy. Her legacy endures in the people she inspired, the organizations she shaped, and the tangible progress in U.S. energy policy and technology.
Katherine’s Final Signoff:
“Open Circuit is co hosted by Jigger Shah, Stephen Lacey, and me, Kathryn Hamilton. … Kathryn Hamilton, signing off.” [53:57]