Our Partners in Clean Energy | Pine Gate Renewables

Utilities

By having a diversified execution platform and project portfolio footprint, Pine Gate has extensive experience working with utility companies across the country. We collaboratively partner with utilities to facilitate energy connections, integrating into existing systems and are adept at:

Direct energy sales to the utility via cost competitive PPAs
Turnkey project sales
Utility-sponsored green tariff programs
Utility-sponsored community solar programs
Construction and interconnection

A few of our utility partners…

Some of our energy buyers include:

Energy Buyers

From Fortune 500 companies to local municipalities to prominent universities, Pine Gate provides clean power and financial solutions to dozens of partners across the country. We partner with energy buyers to help them meet their renewable energy goals and to bring cost competitive clean energy to their local customers.

Our reputation for project execution, financing creativity and transparency throughout contract negotiation make Pine Gate a trusted and reliable partner.

Pine Gate focuses on the individual needs of our partners and our team is experienced in a variety of power marketing structures, including:

Traditional Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Hedge Structures like Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs)
Green Tariff Programs like the Green Source Advantage
Programmatic Opportunities, including Community Solar
Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) Agreements

Capital Partners

As an independently-owned renewable energy development and finance company, Pine Gate works with lenders and capital partners to maximize value at every stage of a project’s lifecycle, from land origination to asset management.

Solar energy development is booming. According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the U.S. solar market will install nearly 100GWdc of solar within the next five years – a 42% increase since 2015.

Companies across the country, along with city and state officials are all looking for more ways to incorporate renewable energy into their overall energy generation plans. With negotiated fixed energy rates, our EPC partnership with Blue Ridge Power and our savvy financial team, Pine Gate’s solar projects offer extremely attractive long-term investment opportunities.

A few of our partners that make our projects possible…

Landowners

Our landowners are the backbone of getting solar done. We consider ourselves partners and good stewards of our landowner’s property, helping to create an attractive investment opportunity for future generations.

Like any good business, we pride ourselves on building long-term relationships with the landowners we work with. We rely on clear communication and follow-through so they are informed about the process of building a solar site, and the benefits it brings to them and the community at large.

Want to work with us? Contact us now

5 Landowner Benefits:

Competitive Terms - Generous lease and purchase terms.
White Glove Service - Clear communication and partnership for every step of development.
We Do all the Work - No responsibility for equipment or development.
Reduced Tax Liability - We pay the property taxes on the land we lease.
Long-term Financial Asset - A long-term lease can provide income for generations to come.

Project Developers

Pine Gate Renewables is aggressively pursuing acquisitions of solar, storage and solar plus storage projects throughout the United States and has a strong history of success. We have acquired, constructed and placed in service more than 1.3GW of projects in the last five years and worked with a wide range of development partners and project sellers.

Pine Gate will review projects with any of the following characteristics:

Pre-NTP projects at any stage of development
Located in the United States including, but not limited to, the Southeast, PJM, MISO, and the Pacific Northwest
Capacity above 5 MW AC with a target size ~80 MW AC
Projects without offtake or with offtake that have PPAs of any term

Looking to sell your solar project? Let's talk! Email us at [email protected]
and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Communities

Every step of the way, we work with local communities to create jobs, bring tax dollars and contribute to the betterment of the locations in which we operate. We collaborate with various local elected officials, residents, environmental organizations and partners in each community.

During the construction process, we’re a part of the local community for approximately a year and we look for ways to contribute beyond just the solar projects themselves.

Construction of our large-scale solar projects also leads to increased activity at local hotels and restaurants, business for local heavy machinery rental companies and substantial revenue to local governments.

How it Works

We work directly with landowners to assess and either purchase or lease suitable land for the purpose of local, utility-scale solar site development. Our solar projects produce clean energy that is delivered to the electrical grid via the existing utility company’s infrastructure, which provides energy to power homes in the local community. Because of this, people in nearby communities benefit from clean solar power without any extra effort or expense.

Finding suitable land is a vital first step in developing widespread access to renewable solar energy. But solar projects have particular space and location requirements, and not all land qualifies. Because of this, we thoroughly vet our potential sites to ensure we make the best use of everyone’s time and resources.

We position our sites near existing utility infrastructure, and we thoroughly evaluate the natural surroundings to ensure minimal environmental impact.

Solar project development is gaining traction in many states across the country, but the concept is still new to most people. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the process and what to expect. Drop us a line through the form below and we’ll be in touch with you to discuss.

Close to Existing Infrastructure
Utilizing Land Already Being Used for Industry
As an example, a 5MW Project Produces 10,950 MWh of Clean
Renewable Energy Annually
Will Ideally Provide Natural Buffer Zones
Minimal Environmental Impact
Defensible Space

Land Requirements:

Limited Wetlands
No Endangered Species Habitat
On-Site Power Access
Relatively Flat

Minimum Acreage Needed:

Southeast: 20+ acreage
Central: 50+ acreage
Northeast: 75+ acreage
Northwest: 20+ acreage

Landowner FAQs

1HOW LONG DOES THE PROCESS TAKE - FROM SITE EVALUATION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT?

From start to finish, the process can take anywhere from 6 to 36 months. Generally, the larger the development area, the more extended the process.

2HOW DO YOU DETERMINE LAND SUITABILITY?

We’ll take a preliminary look at your site and ask you some questions about the land’s current use and your future plans. Then we’ll analyze your land’s topography, search it for wetlands and conduct an FAA screening and historical ownership analysis. If everything looks good, we’ll then have an engineer evaluate it for utility interconnection compatibility. After this process, we can begin to negotiate terms.

3IF MY LAND IS DEEMED SUITABLE, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The first step in this process is negotiating with the property owner to establish a lease or purchase agreement. Once this is in place, we work diligently to receive approval for environmental screenings. Then we obtain state and federal regulatory approval, local zoning jurisdiction approval, and approval from a local utility to connect the solar farm to the grid.

4HOW MUCH WILL I GET PAID?

While we can’t guarantee a number right here, we can say that our lease and purchase terms are designed to be attractive to landowners. In every case, we evaluate property within its respective market in order to establish a fair and beneficial price for both parties. We know there is a lot that you can do with your land and we want to make sure your decision to host a solar farm is one that you will benefit from and be proud of for years to come.

5HOW CLOSE WILL THE SOLAR PROJECT BE TO MY HOUSE OR MY NEIGHBORS?

This depends entirely on the proximity of the leased or purchased property to your house. However, we can tell you that solar sites are quiet, and, once built, they require minimal upkeep, so you won’t notice an increase in traffic. We also typically include generous buffer zones in our plans in order to keep visual impact to a minimum.

6WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TAXES ON MY LAND IF I ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT?

The solar project covers any taxes associated with the lease area, as well as any rollback taxes as part of the change in the land use status.

7IF I LEASE MY PROPERTY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SOLAR EQUIPMENT ONCE THE LEASE IS OVER?

Decommissioning the solar farm is incorporated into the lease agreement. It is the responsibility of the tenant to remove any and all infrastructure associated with the solar farm.

8CAN I CONTINUE TO USE MY LAND DURING THE INITIAL DILIGENCE PERIOD?

Yes, during the lease or purchase option period, you can continue to use your property in any manner you see fit, as long as it does not impact the ability of the land to be used as a solar farm in the future. Part of our option condition does include our ability to visit the site, but only in a non-invasive manner.

9WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE LEASE EXPIRES?

As the tenant of the land, Pine Gate Renewables is committed to a zero-trace decommissioning at the end of the solar farm’s life, and returns the land to the state in which we found it at the beginning of the lease term.

10WHERE DOES PINE GATE RENEWABLES OPERATE?

PGR is based in Charlotte, North Carolina with offices in Jacksonville Beach, Florida and Asheville, North Carolina. We actively develop projects in 15+ states across the United States. Contact us to find out if we’re in your state.

11WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH PINE GATE RENEWABLES?

Pine Gate Renewables is quickly growing to be a premier national developer of solar generating facilities. We are committed to the highest standards of solar site selection, development, long-term use and operation. Pine Gate Renewables is aligned with several leading cross-functional partners that are dedicated to building the highest quality solar farms in the country. Along with these partners, we are committed to generating clean energy for a brighter future.