In this episode, James talks with Bill Francis, Vice President of Emerging Markets at New Energy Equity — a distributed solar developer that has spent over a decade building community solar programs across the country.

Bill joined NEE at the end of 2025 after seven years at Engie, arriving right as the traditional community solar model is showing real strain. Programs are saturating. Development capital is tighter. The ITC safe harbor clock is ticking. His mandate: figure out what comes next — and build it. The case he makes in this episode is that the fundamentals for distributed energy are actually stronger than ever. The branding and program structure just need to change.

Why community solar programs are hitting a wall — and the structures (feed-in tariffs, co-op PPAs, VPP tariffs) that could replace them
The ITC safe harbor cliff at end of 2027: why developers need a three-dimensional strategy on equipment timelines, permitting, and safe harbor right now
The distributed storage opportunity: why half an acre beats 80 acres — and why electric co-ops are among the most motivated customers for standalone batteries
NEE's development DNA: why being judicious about when and how you de-risk assets matters more than ever when development capital is scarce

A must-listen for distributed solar and storage developers thinking through market selection, capital discipline, and what the post-community solar era actually looks like.

Paces helps developers find and evaluate the sites most suitable for renewable development. Interested in a call with James, CEO @ Paces?

Build, Repeat. (A Paces Podcast)

Episodes 20

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