Episode 487

487: $1B in energy savings by 2025!...how the DOE supports Community Solar, with Nicole Steele, US DOE

Published on: 22nd June, 2022

The US Department of Energy considers community solar “an indispensable source in our future energy mix.” 

In Episode 3 of our Community Solar Series, we’ll hear from Nicole Steele, Senior advisor for Energy Justice & workforce at the Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.

Nicole runs the National Community Solar Partnership, which as you heard in Episode 1 has set an ambitious goal of achieving $1B in energy savings across 5M households by the year 2025

This would represent an increase from 3 to 20GW of community solar capacity in the US, and reflects an average bill reduction of 20%.

How does the DOE plan to support this program? Why did it need to exist at all? And how can you benefit from it in your company or community? That’s what we intend to understand and illuminate in this discussion with Nicole Steele.

Key Questions we cover in this interview:

  • Why is the DOE supporting Community Solar, specifically?
  • Who are the stakeholders DOE is engaging, and how?
  • What is the “5 pathways to success” model that Nicole & DOE offer?
  • And, what are the desired outcomes for this program, beyond the headlines of $1B in energy savings?

Tune in to learn more and see how this program might be useful for your community.

You can learn more about today’s guest and our expert lineup along with what else is to come in the series at www.mysuncast.com/communitysolar 

The Community Solar series presented in partnership with EDP Renewables N. America, Distributed Generation.

You'll find more resources and learn about SunCast's guest(s), recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.

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You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:

Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeo

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes