New Market Analysis for Utility-Scale Solar Development
Gavin Berg and Nathan Stottler
Executive Summary
OneEnergy Renewables (OER) is a small but growing developer of utility-scale solar energy facilities with a footprint that spans the United States. We have recently identified several emerging markets for pipeline expansion and are now seeking support in further analyzing and advancing those opportunities.
We are proposing one of several possible projects for an MENV capstone team, dependent upon student interest. The projects would start with familiarizing the team with OER as a company and solar development as a whole, in order to orient the team around OER’s goals and what we are looking to gain from the project. We would then propose that the team deliver one of the following projects:
- An analysis of solar development opportunities in the Southwest Power Pool. OER has begun research in this area and would be looking for the project to identify any/all the following:
Policy opportunities/tracking
Offtake opportunities (utilities, corporates, industrial, etc.)
Geographic opportunities based on interconnection and transmission
Financial analysis (can OER’s development model be competitive with other developers in this region)
- An analysis of solar development opportunities for behind-the-meter projects for industrial customers (ethanol plants, hydrogen/ammonia fertilizer plants, natural gas processors, etc.). We are looking for the project to identify the following:
Identify states with favorable net-metering policies
Identify potential companies to target for offtake
Financial analysis (can OER’s development model provide a compelling benefit to these companies)
- Identifying a list of prospective utilities for distribution-scale solar farm development, and then beginning origination outreach and relationship-building with said utilities.