CHALLENGE

Our client, a major US electric utility, announced an enterprise goal to deploy and integrate 10GW of solar to their generation mix by 2035. The company faced several challenges in meeting this target, including a significant interconnection queue backlog, high demand for renewable energy credits (RECs) from corporate customers, long project lead times, and a lack of internal capabilities to accommodate the significant increase in solar energy on the grid. ScottMadden developed a utility-scale solar strategy to help our client evaluate procurement methods, develop a land acquisition methodology, identify internal resource and capability gaps, and streamline internal processes.

PROCESS

• Developed strategic approach that focused initiatives and activities through three key pillars: procurement, partnerships, and internal capabilities & processes
• Performed a market and peer analysis to identify industry best practices and trends
• Evaluated the impact of utility-scale DERs across the business by forecasting land acquisition needs, evaluating procurement methods, and conducting scenario analysis to understand the impact of various levels of utility-scale renewable penetration to the system

RESULTS

• Established strategic partnerships with solar developers and community advocates
• Constructed a model to evaluate land acquisition costs used to inform investment parameters, business planning, and project budgeting needs
• Collaborated with the utility-scale solar team to develop processes and tools to support cross-functional coordination to streamline integration of
  renewable projects