#146: Fixing the Clean Energy Logjam with Daniel Dus
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Daniel Dus, Founder and CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), to unpack the oftentimes quiet development work that determines whether clean energy projects ever reach construction. We explore CIR’s commoditized development-as-a-service (DaaS) model, which combines deep engineering expertise, advanced software, and AI-enabled workflows to bring projects to true bankability and construction readiness. The conversation spans repowering aging solar assets, the rise of battery storage, data center-driven power demand, policy uncertainty, and why community engagement is becoming one of the most critical success factors for developers navigating today’s clean energy landscape.
Key Points:
Development, not deployment, is slowing clean energy scale-up – Permitting, interconnection, engineering, financing, and documentation remain the biggest sources of delay, often adding years to otherwise viable projects.Development-as-a-service replaces rigid teams with flexible expertise – CIR allows developers to access on-demand, end-to-end development or targeted services without carrying large internal teams through uneven project cycles.AI is embedded across the entire development workflow – From engineering validation and procurement to communications and process optimization, AI enables CIR’s global team to operate at several times the traditional capacity.
Daniel Dus, CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), LinkedInLuis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications
🚀 Calling all Earthlings…
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In this episode of Earthlings 2.0, we sit down with Daniel Dus, Founder and CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), to unpack the oftentimes quiet development work that determines whether clean energy projects ever reach construction. We explore CIR’s commoditized development-as-a-service (DaaS) model, which combines deep engineering expertise, advanced software, and AI-enabled workflows to bring projects to true bankability and construction readiness. The conversation spans repowering aging solar assets, the rise of battery storage, data center-driven power demand, policy uncertainty, and why community engagement is becoming one of the most critical success factors for developers navigating today’s clean energy landscape. Key Points: Development, not deployment, is slowing clean energy scale-up – Permitting, interconnection, engineering, financing, and documentation remain the biggest sources of delay, often adding years to otherwise viable projects.Development-as-a-service replaces rigid teams with flexible expertise – CIR allows developers to access on-demand, end-to-end development or targeted services without carrying large internal teams through uneven project cycles.AI is embedded across the entire development workflow – From engineering validation and procurement to communications and process optimization, AI enables CIR’s global team to operate at several times the traditional capacity. Daniel Dus, CEO of Cleantech Industry Resources (CIR), LinkedInLuis de Leon, Earthlings 2.0 Guest Host, Sr. Public Relations Account Executive at Technica Communications 🚀 Calling all Earthlings… Visit our website for more episodes! Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news on the most exciting technology and research shaping our futures! We want to learn more about you! It’ll take just a few moments to complete our survey. Thank you for helping us make your listening experience the best it can be! Are you new to Earthlings 2.0 and don’t know where to get started? Check out our Life at 3C episode on our website Thanks for tuning in! If you like what we’re doing over at Earthlings 2.0, you can support us by heading over to our Patreon Page. Let’s stay connected! Follow Earthlings 2.0 Socials for the latest updates and news: Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on a href="https://www.instagram.com/earthlingspod/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...