Development
Our project development division originates and develops renewable energy projects. The process starts with screening and identification of greenfield opportunities or acquisition of partially developed sites and continues until the projects are shovel ready. We often co-develop with local or strategic partners and use a flexible approach in structuring such partnerships.
Our team’s broad experience in US and international markets is utilized in carrying out the full range of integrated activities required to develop renewable energy projects successfully in today’s competitive environment. Our team is predominantly bilingual with Latin America experience.
Key Competencies of our Development Team
- Resource Assessment
- Geographic Information Systems
- Financial Analysis
- Equipment Selection
- Land Rights
- Permitting
- Community Relations
- Constructability Evaluation
- Interconnection and Transmission
- Preliminary Engineering
- Power Purchase Agreements
- Negotiation of Debt Financing
- Sourcing of Long-Term Capital / Sale of Equity
- Legal Documentation and Contract Administration
Development Activity Examples
Resource Assessment & Layout Design
Oak Creek’s in-house meteorologist tailors project specific measurement campaigns based on technology (wind or solar), local terrain and size of the project with a focus on reducing uncertainty. In this process, data is managed, analyzed, and energy production is estimated. For each project, a layout design based on micro-siting is derived by synthesizing related project design and engineering processes in order to minimize the cost of energy.
Land Rights
Oak Creek works with landowners to structure land agreements for the mutual benefit of the parties, while providing for continued use of the land for farming, ranching or other activities. This brings long-term economic benefits to the landowner as well as infrastructure improvements as well as benefits to the local surrounding communities. Land rights are typically documented with lease and easement agreements. The Oak Creek land team takes care of any land surveying, registration and land perfection work that may be required.
Permitting
Our development team orchestrates all permitting processes using internal and external resources. Team members from various disciplines become involved as the key permitting applications are prepared to ensure that permits reflect the design requirements of the project. The team strives to maintain excellent communication with permitting authorities as we have found this makes the process smoother for all.
Interconnection & Transmission
Our team puts special effort and resources on analyzing the electrical grid to spot opportunities for new projects. Once a project is in development, we work through the multi-step interconnection process to secure interconnection rights. In Mexico, our team includes professionals with deep understanding of the national grid and the regulatory process.