Leading the charge in commercial solar | Steve Raeder, CEO of Summit Ridge Energy

In this week's episode, Gil Jenkins sits down with Steve Raeder, the founder and CEO of Summit Ridge Energy. As a leading player in the community solar market, Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) has made significant strides since its inception in 2017, deploying over $1.6 billion into clean energy assets. With a robust development pipeline of more than 2 GW, SRE will have more than 400 MW of solar PV online by the end of 2024, powering 50,000 homes and businesses. During the conversation, Steve opens up about his journey from SunEdison to founding Summit SRE. He breaks down the incredible value proposition for community solar, which offers guaranteed savings to both residential and small commercial customers while underscoring its pivotal role in the broader energy transition. Steve also discusses SRE’s growth strategy. Giving his outlook on the future of the community solar market, he details how the company is positioning itself to capitalize on this sector's continued growth. Additionally, Steve talks about the company’s solar panel supply partnership with Qcells, which was announced last year and is the largest domestic community solar purchase ever. He also shares insights into their innovative sustainability apprenticeship program in Chicago. Note: Summit Ridge Energy is a client of HASI. 

Links: 

• Summit Ridge Energy Website
• Summit Ridge Energy on LinkedIn
• Summit Ridge Energy on X
• Steve Raeder on LinkedIn
• Press Release: Summit Ridge Energy and Qcells Announce Largest Community Solar Partnership in the U.S (April 6, 2023)
• Article: Clean energy job training has started at Chicago’s Sustainability Hub (Solar Power World, May 2, 2023)
• Summit Ridge Energy’s “Bomber” Project - Nation's Largest Rooftop Community Solar Array
• Press Release: HASI and Summit Ridge Energy Expand Partnership with New 250 MW Community Solar Portfolio in Illinois and Maryland (August 29, 2023)
• Article: How to run your house on clean electricity, no solar panels required (Washington Post, February 8, 2023)
• Steve’s Book Recommendation: A Sense of Urgency, by Dr. John Kotter

Episode recorded January 24, 2024

Email your feedback to Chad, Gil, Hilary, and Guy at climatepositive@hasi.com.