What Regulatory and Commercial Challenges Are Utility-Scale Renewable Energy Projects Facing? — Insights from Mintz’s Second Annual Energy Transition Summit
Mintz Member Steven Shparber and attorney Omar Bustami engaged in a fireside chat to discuss the regulatory and commercial challenges facing utility-scale renewable energy projects. Shparber began by identifying regulatory issues impeding the ability to reach the full potential and successful deployment of renewable resources and gave a recap of recent regulatory reforms and efforts intended to overcome grid interconnection issues for utility-scale renewables. The discussion then touched on the significance of transmission costs and upgrades as well as interregional transmission planning and how these items might also impact project development. Shparber and Bustami also discussed strategies for getting around interconnection backlogs, the rapid rise in deployment of utility-scale storage resources, as well as the emergence of 24/7 renewable energy power purchase agreements. Finally, Shparber and Bustami fielded questions from audience members inquiring about the types of reforms that could be further instituted to address the problems identified and strategic approaches that individual project developers may wish to consider.