By: Joe Tassone Jr.
How many of us have been close to closing a significant community solar project or a C&I project only for a title issue, a zoning issue, or a land issue to arise? To make matters worse, could the issue have been avoided early on with proper diligence and in little time or with little money?
Working in the renewable energy sector for over five years now, I have seen customers (IPPs, Developers, Owners) scramble to fix issues that should have been identified months prior, only to rear their ugly heads when contracts are ready to be signed.
Development is a tricky business, and sometimes no matter how much one plans, there are going to be problems that arise; however, understanding the real estate and permitting process will mitigate most major issues.
Every year, there are scores of industry conferences that focus on capital, policy, and new technology, all important topics necessary for the advancement of renewables. With that said, very little attention is given to what I consider essential elements in energy development: knowing how to vet property and building relationships with stakeholders.
I like to tout that “we are not in the energy business; we are in the real estate and relationship business.” Everything we do to develop a project relies on having solid relationships with property owners, permitting authorities, and customers.
Spending the time at the beginning of a project to analyze the property, a path to permitting, and meeting on-site with the landowner will provide a good foundation for the rest of the project.
My company onCORE is founded upon and driven by relationships. These relationships stem from our steadfast commitment to bringing value to every project we touch by saving stakeholders time and money through proper origination and diligence.
Joe Tassone Jr. is founder and a principal of Oncore Origination and has over twenty-five years of project development experience.
Visit www.oncoreorig.com for more information.