Renewable Energy Project Finance Basics with Josh Pearson ’97

Building large-scale renewable energy projects demands time, money, human capital, and risk tolerance. Most renewable projects would never be built without the involvement of third-party debt and equity investors. Understanding the essential assets, financial attributes and risks associated with renewables projects is prerequisite to an understanding of renewable project financing. It also provides insights into public policies, consumer preferences, economies of scale and other macro topics that will influence the future of renewables. With this overview in mind, we will address the following questions: What are the most common types of financings available for utility-scale wind and solar energy generation projects? At what points in a project's life cycle do financings come into play? What assets are necessary for these financings, and what economic incentives and considerations shape these investments? What are "offtake agreements", and what role do they play in a project's operations and financings? What is "tax equity financing", and how do the federal "Production Tax Credit" (for wind) and "Investment Tax Credit" (primarily for solar) benefit renewable projects? What are the macro drivers of new renewables investments, and what opportunities exist to expand renewables?