Opinions From the Street - Repowering

There is a lot of talk about “repowering” in the energy industry, and dozens of “business plans” being shopped to capital providers; but what IS repowering, and what do you think?

Cynthia Botagna, Director of Business Development at Private Equity Firm

"It's easy: just get consent from 5-6 different parties, then acquire the operating project from a company that looks like a chump once they sell it to you, get NERC qualification, repair all the inverters, procure 100 MW of modules at a good price for near term delivery, refinance the debt, then renegotiate a PPA with a regulated utility, apply for a supplemental interconnection, procure FEOC compliant battery modules, then negotiate an EPC Agreement amidst a severe labor shortage, get a revised CUP, get a new take permit from a federal government agency that’s been ordered by the President not to give you one, secure a capacity contract, hire a QSE, get a legal opinion supporting the 80:20 test, and then sell the tax credit, and Boom....you’re repowered and totally fucking loaded."

Erin Smith, Deputy Assistant to the Regional Manager at NREL

“I built an excel model that shows the NPV of additional revenue from installing new modules is greater than the cost of the modules. So, why is everyone still asking me for a ‘business model’?”

Ralph Sinclair, Futurist

“Data centers.”