Lindsay McGovern| Vice president, Southern Sky Renewable Energy R.I.
1. Describe your company and the services you provide. We are committed to protecting the environment and helping to build a strong, sustainable economy in Rhode Island. As the leading solar developer in the state, we provide a wide variety of services for utility-scale solar projects, including the development, financing, design and construction of the project. We also provide operations and maintenance for projects, along with long-term asset management.
2. What was the inspiration to launch the company and how did it happen? Renewable energy is the future, which is why solar development is considered a long-term growth industry. There will always be a demand for solar power, because it is a clean, effective and sustainable form of energy.
3. Which project or projects would you cite as the company’s biggest accomplishments? We’re proud of all of our projects, but a particular accomplishment for us was the Kilvert Street project in Warwick, which people can see driving along the T.F. Green Airport Connector. This project is important because we successfully converted a brownfield, which is land that has been previously used or built upon, into a 6.25-megawatt solar system. Brownfields are generally considered to be difficult to repurpose because of previous contamination.
4. What challenges does your company face regarding growth? The high cost of land in New England is definitely a challenge we continue to face – as is the limited amount of quality land and the limitations of the land that is available. Generally, the only large parcels available are filled with ledge and boulders and are fairly difficult to develop.
Another challenge … would be upcoming changes in tax law, such as the 30 percent reduction for investment tax credits.
5. What makes Rhode Island viable for a solar-energy industry? Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has consistently supported legislation passed by the General Assembly supporting the growth of clean energy.
Renewable-energy developers can benefit from net metering, a policy that provides those eligible with credits to help fund clean-energy projects, while the Renewable Energy Growth Program supports the development of clean-energy projects completed between 2015 and 2019. Rhode Island also has interconnection standards that simplify the process of bringing clean energy to the grid.
Scott Blake is a PBN staff writer. Email him at Blake@PBN.com.
