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When Primergy Solar started operations in 2020, it opted to go big — really big — and develop one of the largest solar projects in the world.
A subsidiary of specialist investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, the fledgling company's cornerstone project is the $1.2 billion, 690 MWac/966 MWdc Gemini Solar and Battery Storage Project in Clark County, Nevada.
With an additional 1,416 MWh of energy storage capacity, the mega-complex northeast of Las Vegas could generate enough electricity to power 260,000 homes in Nevada and potential energy markets in Southern California.
As Chief Development Officer at Primergy, Emily Sanders Cohen understands the assignment. "When I think about the problem Primergy needs to solve, I think about the problem that the world needs to solve regarding deploying clean energy and decarbonizing the electric grids," she said.
And while Primergy is "just one of many important companies doing this really important work" to get to a fully decarbonized energy system to prevent the worst potential impacts of climate change, it has a clear go-big mantra.
"We think doing big projects, taking big bites out of the problem, is the way to move the ball forward quickly," she said.
Emily has more than 20-plus years of renewable project development, including more than 15 gigawatts of operational solar and wind projects.
She started at Primergy in 2020, shortly after Quinbrook launched the company to capitalize on the increasingly important role of solar-plus-battery storage solutions in accelerating the energy transition. (You can learn more about Quinbrook in Episodes 517 and 439.)
As CDO, she's responsible for project development, power marketing and origination activities associated with the company's growing portfolio of North American utility-scale and distributed solar and storage assets.
In today's podcast, Emily discusses Primergy's battery storage projects and how the company's work is helping us transition to a cleaner, decarbonized electric grid.
"We don't just need kilowatt hours to supply electric demand. We need to ensure those kilowatt hours are available when consumers need them. Today's renewable technology enables us to get to a decarbonized transmission grid, but we need a lot more folks deploying it," she said.
Before Primergy, Emily oversaw renewable activities at ENGIE North America Inc. and led that team to the number one utility-scale Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) position.
She started her career at Clipper Windpower and worked at Acciona and Element Power before opening an independent consulting business. She was an entrepreneur for nearly 10 years and simultaneously worked as an employee at Infinity Renewables and ENGIE.
She has a ton of significant experience and a passion for renewables, so join us for an insightful conversation. Emily thinks transparent communication is essential as the renewable industry grows and evolves.
"The industry needs to be doing a lot more as a coalition to create broader public messaging about the benefits of renewable energy and dispel some of these patently untrue myths and statements that seem to grab hold in this era," she said.
She said some places that welcomed renewable development "with open arms 10 years ago" no longer do so because of fear and misunderstanding about solar, wind and other renewables.
"The situation is the same on the ground, and nothing has changed about the technology. The information and the misinformation are changing people's perception."
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“I think just like acknowledging what you don’t know, and acknowledging that as a manager is not your job to know, every single thing that every single person is doing on your team, it’s your job to make sure that everyone is kind of marching in the same direction.”
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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.