By Garrett Gill, Vice President, Land, Redeux Energy
Garrett Gill is an experienced renewable energy and utility professional with over 25 years of expertise in real estate management, contracting, and title research.
Critical competencies for utility-scale renewable energy project development include identification of high-quality land, due diligence, landowner relationship development, and execution of site control agreements – each early and vital steps for success in the project development process.
At Redeux Energy, we prioritize this process with our dedicated in-house Land Department comprised of highly qualified, hand-selected professionals with more than 100 years of collective experience in real estate negotiations — including over 40 years in the renewable energy industry, specifically dealing with major Independent Power Producers, utilities, and consultants.
Land Identification and Analysis
Our in-house land team at Redeux was built with several main objectives to create a clear, balanced approach to land identification and lease negotiations. Redeux’s team evaluates and determines potential land and development opportunities based on targeted project size transmission points of interconnection for our solar and battery energy storage projects. This is the first step in our process, and from there, we consider other market, land, and development opportunities.
It’s important to note we complete this step before we reach out to prospective landowners. By keeping land identification as an internal process, we strive to be respectful of the landowners’ time or energy by determining a property is a viable option for our projects. If you have been contacted by Redeux Energy, you can be assured we are interested in leasing your land and feel confident in moving forward in the process.
Similarly, if you are interested in potentially leasing your land to Redeux, we will go through this process internally first and be honest and transparent with you about the results.
Landowner Outreach and Site Acquisition Process
After identifying potential land and development opportunities, our next step is introducing ourselves to landowners through a combination of letters, phone calls, and on-the-ground visits. Personal contact is of key importance to all of us at Redeux, and the first step in building a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
We will always be upfront with information about your land, and how our projects could benefit you and your family. We will also identify any potential project risks and pitfalls early on, and work with you to develop mitigation scopes and strategies to address them.
Our commercial process is not only informative but handled with respect for the importance of your land, and your decision. Whether you are interested a long-term lease or a medium-term sale, our hand-selected team comes with local knowledge and expertise. Each of our team members is highly trained in both the solar and energy storage industry, as well as our processes at Redeux. We strive to offer a balanced contracting approach that meets the needs not only of Redeux, but of you as the landowner as well.
Land Agreement and Development
Following commercial and contractual discussions, Redeux also employs a professional team of compliance experts who provide oversight on documentation, ensuring accuracy and legality for all of our agreements. We take it upon ourselves to make sure everything is filed correctly with the appropriate entities and are familiar with many of the local governments and municipalities that have oversight of our projects.
Once a land agreement is signed, the work of Redeux’s land team doesn’t end there. We regularly stay in communication with all of our landowners, by providing quarterly updates on the progress of our projects.
We also facilitate any transitions as projects progress, particularly as we partner with highly qualified and reputable IPPs who will manage construction and operation. It is important for us that landowners develop the same relationships and trust with our partners as they do with us, and we do all we can to make that possible.
Going Above and Beyond, the Redeux Difference
Redeux relies on a combination of our own in-house expertise and locally represented knowledge for land identification, negotiation, and acquisition. Our team not only knows the local geography and community but also knows our development process from beginning to end.
Because of this, we are able to build long-term, sustainable relationships. We pride ourselves on it! You’ll find our team members actively out visiting farms and fields, often joining landowners on their Side-by-Side UTVs and even combine harvesters to learn the sensitivities and unique intricacies of each property. From there, we advocate on your behalf with the rest of our development team, as well as potential future partners.
At Redeux, we value collaboration and consistency. From the very start, all of our teams collaborate to ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the progression of the project. This is part of the value in having our own in-house land team serving as a liaison to the landowner, and why our landowners appreciate it as well.
Powered by world-class people and processes, with leaders who bring the capabilities and experience from organizations 10 times our size, Redeux Energy provides consistency above all. We are committed to providing high-quality projects to our partners, and constantly working to improve our processes to better align with what landowners and our other partners are looking for in utility-scale solar and storage project development.
If you’re a landowner looking at opportunities to utilize your land for utility-scale solar or energy storage projects or have been contacted by us recently about the possibility, rest assured there’s no better company than us to work with. Connect with us to learn more.
