Shaping the current: A spotlight on hydropower’s future leaders

Sam Doyle didn’t set out to build a career in hydropower, but what started as an unexpected opportunity quickly turned into work he genuinely cares about, fueled by curiosity, grit, and a love of solving tough problems. After earning his mechanical engineering degree at Iowa State University, he went from inspecting turbine components in Europe to helping move pumped storage projects forward across the US.

Today, as Deputy Turbine Team Lead at Stantec, he’s helping strengthen grid reliability and move renewable energy projects forward one megawatt at a time.

Sam was featured in an interview that is part of an ongoing spotlight series highlighting early career professionals shaping the future of hydropower. The series aims to elevate emerging leaders within the industry and to amplify their voices. It intends to give students and early career professionals a clearer picture of the breadth and depth of opportunities in hydropower—from engineering and environmental science to grid operations, project management, regulatory affairs, and beyond.