Energy Post‑Mortems: Learning From What Didn’t Work
Not every clean energy project becomes a glossy success story — and that’s where some of the best learning lives. Join Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) SF Bay Area for Energy Post‑Mortems, an interactive session where we unpack real‑world clean energy and climate projects that didn’t go as planned.
We’ll dig into one or two concise case studies of energy projects that failed or fell short due to factors like:
Policy or regulatory uncertainty
Permitting or community opposition
Economics that didn’t pencil out
Technology risk and reliability
Market design and incentive misalignment
You’ll come in “cold” on the specific project, but you’re encouraged to bring your own mental models and pattern recognition from past deals, headlines, and war stories. Instead of doing homework on a known asset, you’ll practice reacting in real time to new information and incomplete data — just like in the wild. We’re also working to bring in someone who was directly involved with the project as a guest in the room, so there may be an opportunity to pressure‑test your hypotheses with someone who lived it.
The twist: no homework-style prompts upfront, and the actual company and project will only be revealed live at the event. The guiding questions and post‑mortem framework will be shared in the room so we can react together, challenge assumptions in real time, and see how different people interpret the same facts.
During the session, we’ll break into groups to analyze:
What went wrong (and when it became visible)
What was foreseeable with the information available at the time
What we might have done differently as project developers, policymakers, or investors
This event is for young energy professionals across development, policy, finance, engineering, and operations who want to sharpen their judgment by dissecting real‑world missteps — not just celebrating wins.
Format
20 min: Welcome & networking
10 min: Case overview
40 min: Small‑group “post‑mortem” discussions
30 min: Group debrief, key lessons, and takeaways
20 min: (Optional) Informal networking after
Who should attend
Early‑ and mid‑career energy and climate professionals
Students and career‑switchers curious about project development
Anyone who has thought, “I wish we talked more honestly about what doesn’t work”
Logistics
Date: July 10
Time: 5:45 pm
Location: Palo Alto (University Ave)
Spots may be limited to keep discussions interactive, so please RSVP early. You’ll get all the context you need in the room — just bring your research instincts, your theories, and your spiciest “here’s what I would have done” take.
About YPE
YPE SF Bay Area is a local chapter of the global Young Professionals in Energy nonprofit network — a community of more than 40,000 members across 40 chapters worldwide. Our chapter alone has over 4,000 members. We are dedicated to advancing young professionals in the energy sector through meaningful networking, knowledge sharing, and community and student events that reflect our commitment to social and educational responsibility.
