Mark DePasquale | Founder and CEO, Green Development LLC
What have been the challenges faced by the renewable energy industry during the pandemic and how have they affected you? Our No. 1 priority has been ensuring our workers are safe. Luckily, outdoor construction has continued. The biggest challenge has been working with municipalities, banks, customers because of shutdowns and elimination of in-person meetings. Additionally, permitting and approvals are taking double the time they were prior to COVID-19. That said, we have been fortunate to grow the company during the pandemic, hiring close to 30 additional employees.
What has been your response to those challenges? The ability to have in-person meetings is most efficient, but as everyone has transitioned to virtual meetings, the pace of things has started to become steadier. We can only be patient and supportive of our municipal partners during these challenging times.
What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed? There’s no magic bullet here. We will simply continue to adapt to the working environment that the pandemic dictates. Adaptability is the key to operating a business during a pandemic.
The state has been working to incentivize solar development in locations such as parking lots and brownfields, rather than on forest and farmland. Do you have any interest in developing on these types of properties? We remain open to any and all opportunities to develop meaningful renewable energy projects to help the state meet its goals. It doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. No one should discount the impact our projects have had on preserving farmland that has belonged to families for generations. We have been able to preserve large swaths of farmland while having a minimal impact on tree cutting. We are currently working on solar canopies and several rooftop solar projects.
What long-term impacts do you think the pandemic will have on the pace and growth of the renewable energy industry in Rhode Island? We remain optimistic about 2021. Rhode Island is well-positioned for growth in the renewable sector as we still lag behind many other states. The Biden administration will be more supportive of the ... sector.
How will the change in presidential administration affect the state renewable energy sector? We are transitioning from a president who has continued to suggest wind turbines cause cancer – that in itself is a step forward. [President-elect Joe] Biden has stated he will invest $400 billion over 10 years as one part of a broad mobilization of public investment in clean energy and innovation. He has also committed to achieve economywide net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
