Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association

The Chesapeake Solar and Storage Association's Solar Focus conference Nov. 19-20 in Baltimore was a good place to take the industry's pulse two weeks post-election. Three key takeaways, as per my latest in NetZero Insider -- first, from Alex McDonough of Pioneer Public Affairs (second from right, below), the industry cannot rely on support from Republicans whose districts have scored IRA-funded projects. In a budget reconciliation vote on extending the 2017 tax cuts, including IRA claw- or rollbacks, they will vote for it. Second, that bill could include further corporate tax cuts, below 2017's 21%, and anything below 18% will make the ITC irrelevant for utility-scale financing. And last, renewables -- solar, wind and storage -- must inject themselves into the "U.S. energy dominance and independence" narrative -- you don't get there without us. Oh, and one more, electricity rates will go up. RTO Insider LLC Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association Click here to read on: https://lnkd.in/dfPuGmsh

Our annual conference, #SolarFocus24, is now in the books! Many, many thanks to our sponsors, partners, awardees, and attendees for making Solar Focus 2024 tremendously successful. Our goal is always to provide an experience that is professionally and personally fulfilling. Stay tuned for Solar Focus 2025 - next November!

Solar Focus 2024 is in the books! Last week, Navisun's John Stroud and Matt Preskenis joined an engaged community of professionals guiding the region's solar development as part of CHESSA's annual conference in Baltimore. Both John and Matt were given the opportunity to share Navisun's vision to bring more clean, affordable power to the Mid-Atlantic, reflect on the region's solar history, and share the keys to success for strong co-development partnerships alongside other industry experts, including our latest collaborator in Maryland, Keith Akers of Queen City Solar LLC. Thanks to Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association and all who attended for another incredible annual gathering. The future for solar is bright in the Mid-Atlantic, and we're excited to be a part of it.

Another impactful day at #SolarFocus24!?? On Wednesday, our Vice President of Development, Ryan Boswell, joined an expert panel for "Avoiding Permitting Pitfalls in Maryland's CPCN Process," moderated by David Murray of TurningPoint Energy. Ryan was joined by Bob Sadzinski from Maryland DNR, Kathy Poole from Dewberry, and David Beugelmans of Gordon Feinblatt LLC. Ryan emphasized the importance of early and meaningful community engagement, explaining: "We don’t always start with a warm reception, but demonstrating that effort has been really important. The more you engage everyone who will contribute to your success—and engage them early—the better your outcome." This sentiment sparked a thoughtful discussion among panelists about strategies to streamline the permitting process and how 2025 resource updates might reshape CPCN requirements. As we close out our time at Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association's 2024 Solar Focus Conference, we're energized by the actionable insights and strengthened connections we've established. Here's to building a brighter, cleaner future—together! ?? #cleanenergy #renewableenergy

The Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association held a substantive and informative #SolarFocus24 conference in Baltimore this week. Here are my top five takeaways. 1.??The situation with the PJM Interconnection queue is a mess. Huge cost and environmental implications here. 2.??Land use, siting and permitting issues continue to cause delays in solar development, but the industry clearly addressing it more seriously. 3.??Lots of talk about agrivoltaics progressing from planting pollinators, to adding grazing animals, to now planting productive crops among the solar arrays to preserve farmland. 4.??Regarding the elections, various speakers said they were focused on state policies, and pointed to the number of projects in red districts and the proclaimed strength of U.S. manufacturing as reasons for optimism. We’ll see. 5.? The conference took place 40 years to the day after CHESSA, then MDV SEIA, was launched. Kudos to Robin Dutta, for honoring pioneers and for putting on a great show. Athanor was a proud sponsor of the event.

It was a productive and informative week at the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association’s Solar Focus conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Virginia and Maryland are critical markets for the community solar industry and there is much policy work to be done to ensure they continue to grow. I appreciated the insights offered by key legislators Maryland Delegate Lorig Charkoudian and Virginia Delegate Rip Sullivan, who have both been vital in passing renewable energy legislation in their states. I look forward to continuing to work with fellow CHESSA members and staff to bolster these markets and build out the Mid-Atlantic’s renewable energy infrastructure.

?? Reflecting on an Inspiring Solar Focus 2024! ?? I had an amazing time at Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association CHESSA’s Solar Focus this week, learning from industry leaders and diving into critical conversations about the future of renewable energy. It was a pleasure to attend alongside my colleagues Todd Chason, David Beugelmans, Max Cooke, Nicole Lacoste Folks, and Austin Klinger from Gordon Feinblatt LLC. I'm grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many passionate professionals! A major highlight for me was the #Agrivoltaics panel, where we explored the exciting potential of integrating solar energy with agricultural practices. Additionally, the session on avoiding pitfalls in the #CPCN permitting process, in Maryland, provided valuable insights into navigating challenges as solar development accelerates. With discussions like these, it’s clear that the solar industry is primed for incredible growth. I’m excited to see how renewable energy continues to shape our world and look forward to further conversations about the innovative solutions driving this transformation. I also love to see events like this in #Baltimore! A huge thanks to #SEIA and everyone involved for organizing such a thought-provoking event. Let’s keep the momentum going! #SolarFocus2024 #RenewableEnergy #Agrivoltaics #SolarGrowth #Sustainability #GordonFeinblatt #solar

Recapping my recent travels to Baltimore, thank you and a huge shoutout to Robin Dutta and the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association for organizing such well-rounded, extensive & solid Solar Focus conference this past week. I had the pleasure of representing Solar United Neighbors alongside my colleagues Liz Veazey and Michelle Ko?acz. One of the many perks at these forums, connecting with long-standing partners in-person, as well as new prospects across the region & industry--always a welcome change from those Google Hangout sessions across the year. One of the standout sessions featured some of our partners on “The Essential Role of Local Government in the Clean Energy Revolution" panel, the session emphasized how local governments are key drivers of solar adoption & innovations, this is especially relevant to our own efforts as we continue to grow our co-ops & the Solar Switch model across the east coast (and beyond). One of the major recurring themes was around preserving critical components around the IRA bill, namely the tax credits among others. And while I have my own reservations about how those provisions will evolve moving forward, as one of the panelists pointed out, the train’s already left the station on solar—there is bipartisan support around various facets of the solar industry and our work will continue, irrespective of how things shape up come spring next year. #CHESSA2024 #SolarFocus2024 #SolarEnergy #CHESSASolarFocus?

Thank you Robin Dutta and the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association for the incredible opportunity to speak on the Women in Solar panel at this year’s Solar Focus conference. It was an honor to share insights from my career journey and my work as Director of Environmental Commodities Operations at Sol Systems. It was inspiring to join Carrie Hearne and Kaitlin Kelly O'Neill in reflecting on what it means to be a leader, exploring ways to foster mentorship, and discussing strategies to grow the number of women in the solar workforce. #WomeninSolar #Renewables #Solar

I had such an amazing experience speaking on the “How Agrivoltaics Can Go Mainstream” panel at the Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association (CHESSA) Solar Focus today. My fellow panelists always teach me something new. Thank you Miles Q. Braxton Daniel Dotterer Rachel Jones. Y’all brought great information to the table today, it was a pleasure hearing from you and promoting Agrivoltaics with you. Also, Jake Springer did a great job leading the panel! #solargrazing #agrivoltaicsforall #agrisolar #AgPV #solar