Corporate demand for clean energy continues to grow across the globe, particularly in the United States. Apex Clean Energy, a developer of commercial-scale wind, solar and battery storage projects, is a key player in this growth. With a diversified portfolio of 60 gigawatts and more than $2B in assets under management across the United States, Apex has a range of corporate offtakers including Google, IKEA, Cargill, and Meta. 

On this episode of the Decarbonization Race, VP of Energy Marketing for Apex, Erik Haug joins our new co-host, Cleartrace Head of Customer Growth Zach Livingston, to discuss Apex’s role in the evolution of the renewable energy space, how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations are shaping decisions around clean energy purchasing, and the complexities of educating consumers and communities to accelerate the growth of renewable power projects. He gets candid about the growing role of battery storage and other forms of dispatchability in Apex’s portfolio as well as how they’re prioritizing looking “beyond the megawatt”.

Key Takeaways:

1. Aggregation is playing a crucial role in driving renewable energy projects, enabling smaller customers to pool demand to access larger-scale projects at competitive prices. There are challenges and benefits in both self-aggregation and advisor-led aggregation within the evolving landscape of renewable energy finance and procurement.
2. Apex works to empower customers through education. Renewable energy advisors play a pivotal role in educating and guiding customers toward making informed decisions. By helping customers understand the potential of renewable energy solutions and how they align with their goals, these advisors facilitate the transition to a low-carbon future.
3. The Investment Tax Credit was extended to standalone energy storage in the Inflation Reduction Act, which will bring more storage and resulting flexibility onto electric grids around the U.S. However, a mechanism is still needed to compensate battery storage projects to maximize how much decarbonization impact they deliver for the grid. An incentive rewarding energy storage for delivering net carbon emission reduction could significantly accelerate the already fast-growing market for energy storage.

Resources:

• Apex Clean Energy - https://www.apexcleanenergy.com/
• Connect with Erik Haug - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-haug-03b35539/