IJGlobal webcast – the interconnection inquest with Cypress Creek

Following on from IJGlobal’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF) in New York last month, this latest webcast turns the spotlight on the US’ complicated grid interconnection process.

REFF is the premier event for renewable energy finance, with in-depth content and unparalleled networking opportunities that drive real connections and deal-making.

While at the event IJGlobal’s head of Americas content, Thomas Duffell, sat down with Peter Toomey, chief development officer at Cypress Creek Renewables, for a first-hand view of the challenges developers face.

The episode runs for a little more than 23 minutes and sees Toomey give a frank view of the market sharing war stories on navigating some tough interconnection battles and how these experiences have changed the way he approaches project development today.

This latest episode can be accessed on our Vimeo channel (embedded below) as well as through the REFF website.

Cypress Creek develops, finances, owns, and operates utility-scale and distributed solar and energy storage projects across the US. The developer has commercialized 12GW of solar projects, owns more than 2GW of solar and has a more than 20GW solar and storage pipeline.

Earlier this month IJGlobal reported it reached financial close for its Sundance Solar and Energy Storage hybrid project in Elbert County, Colorado.

Toomey says: “Certainly the sheer volume of projects is playing a part in this. You’ve seen that particularly since the IRA [Inflation Reduction Act] but even before that…this has led to significant delays and significant cost uncertainty for us developers.

“We are talking about over 2TW of projects in the interconnection queue throughout the US. It’s down from 2.5TW a year and a half ago but it’s still double the total generation that is online in the country today.”

But Toomey is positive about the future for and cites communication, both on the developer and utility side, as a way of building trust as the industry deals with the challenging circumstances.  

Tune into this latest episode to hear all about it…