SunCast

America needs more electricity. But between recognizing that need and actually putting new power on the grid sits a complicated mix of policy, manufacturing, permitting, interconnection, capital, and community trust.Recorded live at the CHESSA Energize Summit, this conversation looks at that challenge from three different points in the industry. Robin Dutta, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association, explains how policy and industry advocacy shape the market companies are trying to build in. Carlos Class, CEO of Goldi America, offers a firsthand look at the capital, certification, supply-chain work, and risk involved in bringing solar manufacturing back to Virginia. And Drew Price, co-founder of Hexagon Energy, shares what years of project development have taught him about interconnection uncertainty, resilient project portfolios, and why relationships with local communities can determine whether a good project ever gets built.Together, the conversation gets beyond the simple call to “build more power” and into what doing that actually requires.Expect to Learn:🔹 Why interconnection and permitting delays are killing viable solar projects🔹 How changing federal policies threaten domestic manufacturing investments🔹 Why building American solar supply chains takes years, not months🔹 How community trust can determine whether a project gets builtIf you build, finance, manufacture, permit, or advocate for energy projects, this episode offers a practical look at the work between policy and power.The technology is ready. The demand is here. What's stopping deployment?Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncastSubscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus(00:00) Bridging the Clean Energy Deployment Gap(02:16) Navigating Post-IRA Federal Policy Shifts(04:31) Local Siting Moratoria and Storage Regulation(05:51) Fixing Clean Energy's Main Street Messaging(08:48) Overcoming Local Resistance to Domestic Manufacturing(13:55) The Ecosystem Behind Domestic Solar Content(16:51) Capital Disparities: Clean Energy vs Data Centers(20:54) Supply Chain Lead Times and Tariff Volatility(27:32) Interconnection and Permitting as Deal Killers(29:02) Surging Power Demand vs Decadal Timelines(30:33) Risk Management and Portfolio Resiliency(32:50) Building Community Trust to Win Local Permits(37:44) Reforming Virginia Interconnection and Shared Solar(38:23) Unifying the Industry Against Collective Headwinds

Lenders spook easily. And for good reason.Their job is to protect capital, so a solar project can have solid economics, proven technology, and an EPC that knows how to build it, yet still hit a financing wall if the lender isn’t convinced the project will reach commercial operation when something goes wrong.That’s the nightmare Gage Kellogg, Managing Director of Renewable Energy at Partner Engineering & Science, helps us unpack in this Halloween-special Tactical Tuesday.What happens if the EPC fails halfway through construction? Who keeps the subcontractors on site? Who funds the remaining work? And does having a performance bond actually mean someone is ready to finish the project?Gage has spent more than two decades across development, project finance, construction, surety, and independent engineering. He explains the warning signs that show up before contractor failure, why a stalled project can become more expensive by the day, and how Partner’s Completion Commitment and SureBuild address different layers of completion risk.Expect to learn:🔹 Why a technically capable EPC can still create a bankability problem🔹 What a performance bond does, and what it may not solve🔹 What needs to happen immediately when an EPC fails🔹 How contractor default and borrower default create two different risksIf you’re developing, financing, or building solar and storage projects, this is one scary scenario worth solving before financial close.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast? Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 850 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can learn more about partnering with SunCast here: https://mysuncast.com/sponsorsYou can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalusSubscribe to Valence, our weekly Linkedin Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/(00:00) The Solar Construction Risk Dilemma(03:16) How Construction Completion Agreements Work(04:35) Navigating Market Volatility on the Solar Coaster(06:06) Limitations of Traditional EPC De-Risking Tools(07:49) The Hidden Traps of Surety Bond Indemnification(09:31) Why Performance Bonds Do Not Guarantee Completion(10:50) Early Warning Signs of Solar Contractor Distress(14:35) The First 24 Hours After an EPC Walkoff(16:25) Compounding Risks of Stalled Solar Construction(17:18) Contractor Default, Borrower Default, and SureBuild(19:37) Case Study: Covering a $4M Project Cost Overrun(22:04) Lessons from Large-Scale Developer Bankruptcies(23:35) Unifying Technical Diligence and Completion Protection(24:31) Solving Surety Barriers for Vertically Integrated Developers(26:27) Solving Completion Risk Before Financial Close

Getting a solar project approved is one thing. Building enough trust that the community welcomes the next project is another.In this Part 2 of Nico Johnson’s conversation with Lauren Glickman, the focus shifts from what solar and agriculture can accomplish together to what developers must do to make those benefits credible and durable.Lauren explores why agrivoltaics cannot be treated as a one-size-fits-all practice. Grazing, crops, pollinator habitat, and other agricultural uses have very different economics, which means the policies and incentives designed to encourage them may need to differ as well. She also explains why permitting certainty and agricultural tax treatment can sometimes matter more than another financial subsidy.But the larger lesson is about trust.Lauren shares what can happen when agricultural commitments disappear after a project changes ownership, why farmers should be compensated for the expertise they bring to project development, and why showing up only when you need a permit means starting the relationship at a disadvantage.For developers, the responsibility extends beyond getting today’s project built. Every promise kept or broken influences how that community responds to the next solar project.If you missed Part 1, we made the case for solar + farming; in this Part 2, we ask what it takes to make that partnership last.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncastSubscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus(00:00) Developing Project Certainty in Agrivoltaic Policy(02:55) Financial Incentive Limitations Across Diverse Agrivoltaic Practices(05:10) Permitting Reform and Farm-By-Right Statutes(10:00) Ensuring Durability in Long-Term Developer Commitments(12:10) Embedding Agricultural Obligations into Land Lease Options(15:28) Compensating Farmers and Proactive Community Pre-Engagement(18:00) Overcoming Post-Energization Host Community Ghosting(20:08) Maryland's Agricultural Tax Treatment and Certification Model(22:16) Aligning Clean Energy and Conservation Through Uncommon Dialogue(26:48) Spotting Agrivoltaic Greenwashing and Enforcing Practical Accountability(29:39) Rapid Fire Insights on Agrivoltaics and Policy(31:03) The 10-Year Future of Solar and Agriculture Integration(32:39) Rewarding Long-Term Commitments Beyond Project Energization

For years, the solar industry has defended development on agricultural land by arguing that solar can help keep farms in the family and protect them from more permanent forms of development. Lauren Glickman thinks the opportunity may be bigger than that.For nearly five years, Lauren has helped shepherd policy and communications at Encore Renewable Energy, one of the Northeast's leading community-scale renewable energy developers and a longtime advocate for brownfield redevelopment and more sustainable land use. In Part 1 of this two-part SunCast conversation, she makes the case for thinking about solar and farming as partners rather than competing land uses. Lauren points to SEIA analysis showing that far more prime farmland is sitting fallow than is occupied by solar, and shares an Encore project in Vermont where a former gravel pit now generates electricity while providing pasture for a local sheep farmer. Nico and Lauren explore what current agrivoltaics research is actually showing, where the evidence is still developing, how grazing and larger livestock can expand the opportunity, and why farmers themselves may be the most credible voices for explaining the benefits.The bigger question is not simply how much farmland solar occupies. It is how much agricultural value solar can preserve, restore, or create.And this is only Part 1. On Thursday, Lauren returns to tackle the harder half of the equation: how developers earn community trust, design better incentives, and make sure agricultural promises survive for the life of the project. Expect to Learn:🔹 Why the 43-to-1 farmland statistic changes the solar debate🔹 How Encore turned a former gravel pit into productive pastureland🔹 What current agrivoltaics research reveals about crops and livestock🔹 Why farmers must lead the conversation about solar's agricultural benefitsIf we're serious about protecting American farmland, maybe it's time to stop asking how much land solar occupies and start asking how much agricultural value it creates.Listen in for a different perspective on the future of solar and farming.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncastSubscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus(00:00) Reframing the Solar and Farmland Debate(03:35) Dismantling the False Solar vs Farming Narrative(06:01) How Solar Is Creating New Farmland(08:31) Turning Compromised Land into Active Grazing Pasture(13:13) Research and Crop Performance in Agrivoltaic Systems(17:02) Dual-Use Solar Lessons from European Markets(17:45) Connecting Agrivoltaics to Farm-to-Table Markets(22:32) Elevating Farmer Voices in Clean Energy Storytelling(24:24) Integrating Cattle and Large Livestock into Solar(27:07) Local Economic Benefits of Solar Weed Management(29:55) Land Reversibility and Long-Term Grid Energization(33:06) Key Takeaways on Solar and Agricultural Stewardship

AI is changing electricity demand faster than the grid was built to accommodate it. But the more interesting question may not be how much power data centers need.It may be what that electricity is worth to them.If AI workloads can economically justify power prices far above those of traditional industrial customers, that creates enormous economic headroom. Could that help pay for grid modernization, new capacity, flexibility and cleaner generation? And what happens if utilities, developers and investors build for demand that ultimately arrives more slowly, or not at all?That is the question at the center of this episode.Hans Royal, Co-Founder & President of RP Energy, began thinking about it while on sabbatical from Schneider Electric. He came across the traditional gas heat-rate concept and started asking whether there was a similar way to measure the conversion of electricity into AI intelligence. That led him to create Compute Heat Rate, a metric for estimating how much different AI workloads can afford to pay for power.David Siap, Senior Manager for Energy at CREO, brings the other side of the equation. His work asks what it actually costs to add reliable capacity, how investors should evaluate the AI-driven demand boom, and which investments still make sense if the forecasts prove too optimistic.Peter Kelly-Detwiler, co-founder of NorthBridge Energy Partners and a longtime demand-response operator, tests both ideas against the realities of power markets, interconnection, flexibility and ratepayer risk. Episode 976: Thursday, October …Expect to learn:🔹 Why AI may behave very differently from traditional industrial electricity customers🔹 How Compute Heat Rate helps explain the economics of AI power demand🔹 Why flexibility may depend more on grid access than electricity price alone🔹 Which investments still look sensible if data center demand falls short of today's forecasts🔹 How AI could become a source of capital for a stronger grid, and what has to go right for that to happenIf you're trying to understand where AI, power markets and clean energy investment are actually headed, this conversation gives you a much better map.Are there other technologies you’ve scouted on the frontlines of the Clean Energy Revolution that you think we should be covering here on SunCast?Hit us up - [email protected] with your feedback & recommendations.If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://suncast.media/episodes/.Our Platinum Presenting Sponsor for SunCast is CPS America!You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.suncast.media/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 950 other founder stories and startup advice at www.suncast.media.We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: https://www.ratethispodcast.com/suncastSubscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus(00:00) The Explosive Surge in Data Center Load Growth(02:33) What Is a Megawatt Hour Worth to AI?(05:53) Defining Compute Heat Rate: Converting Electrons to Intelligence(09:14) Quantifying AI’s $5,630/MWh Willingness to Pay(10:41) Frontier Models vs. Commodity Inference Workloads(14:41) The Economic Paradox of Data Center Flexibility(18:09) Speed to Power and Interconnection Delay Economics(22:35) Beyond LCOE: The Marginal Cost of Firm Capacity(27:41) How AI Capital Distorts Clean Energy Investments(35:21) Grid Interconnection Rules and Jurassic Park Analogies(38:19) How Training vs. Inference Loads Impact the Grid(45:07) Proving Empirical Demand Response for Large Data Centers(48:53) Phantom Loads and Capacity Price Spikes in PJM(55:09) Social License to Operate and AI’s Power Future