Members of the Renewa team recently attended the Solar + Wind Finance and Investment Summit alongside renewable developers and investors in Scottsdale, Arizona. The summit focused on discussing the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the financing and investment of solar and wind energy projects. Our team had productive meetings with C-Suite level executives from most major renewable energy developers, and attended networking events and more.
Of the multiple panels and discussions at the summit, Gage Mooring, our Co-CEO, was part of a panel examining the hot topic of creative financing strategies for early-stage development projects. The panel, titled ‘Sources of Early to Mid-Stage Development Capital’, focused on how capital solutions are evolving to support early to mid-stage development, what parts of the cycle are currently under-supplied, and explained how markets are adjusting to meet the need.
Some of the key conference takeaways:
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There was much discussion on the confluence of macro headwinds with the cost of capital increasing due to fed policy, the tailwinds of the IRA, and the new tax incentives for solar, wind, and, a new addition, battery storage.
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Site control is an issue for all developers and is a critical component of land development. Site control in land development can be a significant challenge for several reasons, including:
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Competition for land: There is often intense competition to acquire the best sites, particularly in desirable locations. This competition can drive up land prices and make it challenging to secure the sites needed for projects.
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Zoning and land-use regulations: Local zoning and land-use regulations can limit what type of development can occur in specific areas, which can restrict the types of projects that can be pursued.
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Environmental regulations: Land development often involves environmental concerns, such as protecting wetlands, conserving wildlife habitats, and managing stormwater runoff. Developers must comply with federal, state, and local regulations governing these issues, which can be complex and time-consuming.
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Capital for early-stage battery storage development is also a major challenge within the industry. There is rarely the ability to option-to-lease sites for 3 – 5 years for battery storage given the urban or semi-urban location of prime real estate.
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In addition to capital to fund early-stage renewable real estate acquisition, there can be existing operations on prime sites, including warehouses, industrial facilities, and shopping centers.
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