Burk TechnoEconomics is now a partnership!
After seven years of working solo, I have a business partner! This business partner is Phil Michael - a talented, thoughtful, and diligent engineer, a former colleague, and a good friend.
Phil and I met almost ten years ago when I was hired at New Sky Energy, a startup in Boulder, Colorado. We worked together to design, commission, and operate two pilot plants at natural gas well sites - one in the Oklahoma panhandle and the other in the hills north of Rock Springs, Wyoming.
I built techno-economic models for the technologies while sitting next to Phil in a shared office. That was the least of our bonding experiences, though, as we went on to spend weeks together, miles from the nearest 'town', wearing flame-retardant suits, turning wrenches, diagnosing equipment issues, and devising solutions.
I eventually left New Sky to start Burk TechnoEconomics, and Phil went on to work on some big projects. He managed procurement and construction of ‘largest-to-date' systems in renewable energy and water treatment, and served on the leadership team of a startup during its acquisition by a publicly traded corporation. We stayed in touch, though - meeting up adventures here and there.
When I started getting serious about writing the book, I knew that I would need to cut back on project work, but I hated the idea of leaving clients hanging. So, I called Phil.
