Host Nico Johnson and Foley & Lardner Partner, Jeff Atkin. Join in as Nico and Jeff discuss how their mutual time serving in volunteerism in Latin America (in particular, Guatemala) has informed their professional decisions.
We talk about the Horus solar project in Guatemala, one which Jeff’s team at Foley was responsible for structuring; if you’re unfamiliar with this project, it was the first major tender-awarded and utility-scale project in Central America, and it’s one of the largest in the region now at about 75MW AC.
Jeff gives his opinion on lessons learned from that project, and what he admired about the way the developer approached the project with the end in mind.
We discuss the power of initiative, and how he leveraged the power of a large organization to gain traction in an emerging industry, and subsequently, how Jeff has differentiated Foley among the pool of international firms that have a Latin America focus.
And, Jeff confirms the not-so-secret fact that the “wealthy families” are almost always the entry point for finding the early stage opportunities and localizing good partnerships, while providing great tips on how to develop and care for your own network.
We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!
Good Reading:
Climatescope
About the Author:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, a regular discussion with Solar Industry professionals who are focused on the Latin America solar market. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for in-depth conversation on the trends in the market, how to position companies to win in Latin America, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is a 10-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy. His connection to the Latam market extends back to when he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, and he is considered one of the market's leading experts on solar pv expansion in region.
Nico can be reached at nico@mysuncast.com or on Linked In