Four industry powerhouse events are coming together for this clean energy conference in Anaheim, CA.
At the end of September, the Leyline team will head to Anaheim, California to attend the RE+ Conference, produced by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA). SEIA and SEPA historically hosted the annual solar trade show Solar Power International (SPI) and the annual Energy Storage International (ESI) conference. They just launched RE+ Power and RE+ Infrastructure, which focus on power generation, energy generation and security, electric vehicles and charging, microgrids, and other technologies. Combined, these four events make up the RE+ Conference, the largest clean energy event in North America.
Leyline team members attended SPI and ESI in past years, and we are excited to attend the combined event this Sept. 19-22. Hundreds of companies registered, and we look forward to engaging with renewable energy professionals and experts from across the industry and globe. As financiers and former developers, we prioritize keeping our thumb on the pulse of the industry. Even if we do not plan to or have not yet invested in certain areas, we seek to understand the nuances in business models, financing trends, and other aspects of the broad energy landscape.
The RE+ schedule is packed full of panels and workshops on exciting topics covering everything from emerging technologies like green hydrogen to technical topics like grid electrification and interconnection queue reform. A large event with such an impressive schedule of speakers and sessions can be overwhelming for any attendee to try to navigate all of the topics and sessions available, so we put together a quick overview of topics we're excited about to serve as a rough guide for attendees.
Solar Energy and Storage
In particular, we look forward to engaging in discussions around long-duration energy storage (LDES) business models, technologies, and use cases. LDES allows surplus renewable energy to be stored and used when there are gaps in the production necessary to power the grid. Will these technologies be economically viable, and how can they help us meet energy and climate targets?
The conference will also lend insight into trends emerging in the solar market. In particular, we will look for progress on community storage policy and implementation - especially in regulated markets - as well as best practices for deployment and effectively reaching low- to moderate-income communities. From photovoltaic design, operations, and maintenance, to decommissioning at panels' end-of-life, there will be something for everyone.
Electrification and Grid Challenges
RE+ will touch on new progress across the United States' electrification landscape. We hope to hear more about trends in electrification and policies that are speeding the transition. The new Infrastructure Law will undoubtedly lead to different electric vehicle (EV) business models, which we briefly touched on in last month's newsletter. And, we posted about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and how its influx of funding will significantly encourage electrification.
Some questions to ask as weyou attend conference sessions may be: What strategies can be used to ensure grid reliability as we electrify fleets, personal transport, and other aspects of our lives? Are any of the new EV charging business models successful and where are they? How can we reform the interconnection queue to accelerate the clean transition?
Finance
Another topic we want to investigate is virtual power plants (VPPs): a decentralized network of power-generating facilities that aggregate grid services from solar and wind farms. These facilities, located across various geographic locations, are integrated into the grid, controlled, and their energy dispatched from one centralized place. At RE+, we look forward to hearing how VPPs can potentially reduce the cost of capital, lower customer costs, and increase utilities' abilities to meet renewable energy targets.
Emerging Technologies
Though not currently a Leyline investment, the conference discusses potentially promising technologies, such as green hydrogen and carbon capture. There is a lot of buzz in the energy world about hydrogen's potential application as an energy storage technology - and particularly of interest to us, "green" hydrogen (see previous Leyline commentary here). Carbon capture is also a hot topic, as it is hotly debated how and to what extent it makes a lasting positive impact as part of the climate change solution. It is important to stay abreast of updates in emerging fields, and these sessions may provide valuable insight for future industry development.
Join Us
Will we see you at RE+? Schedule a meeting with our team in the Manhattan Room on the Concourse level atin the Anaheim Hilton to learn more about Leyline's development capital and bridge lending to high-impact renewable energy projects. We look forward to seeing you there!
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